Anything But This
by foggeh
Summary: Streetwise and skilled fighter is Inuyasha, but he finds himself lost in some problems. A powerful man holds a grudge for him, exams are coming up plus he's already a year behind and a new tutor by Kagome is there to make his life hell.
1. Brawny and Brainy

Kind of weird...I am. I alway twist the original Inuyasha plot so...funkily. Kouga is a pervert. Go figure. o.O Also...I'm not good with titles, so don't blame me. Blame my head! I just picked it up from the top of it. -weird-  
  
Oh yeah...the disclaimer. Well, -sniffs indignantly-, I wouldn't be writing a FANFICTION if I owned Inuyasha...eh?  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.  
  
buahaha. he shall be my servant one day... x3 uhm. but for the time being...I own Necoyasha. x) -purrs-

* * *

Anything But This  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Brawny and Brainy

* * *

Inuyasha walked slowly and casually, the length of the gymnasium. One hand was in his pocket, another was holding a thin bat, and from his mouth, wisps of smoke wafted from his cigarette.  
  
"We apologize Inuyasha, sir. We will never do it again."  
  
Three quivering boys were on the ground, as if they were about to do push-ups. Inuyasha smirked from behind the lung-constricting fog, as he stopped walking soon as he reached the first boy. The boy winced as if he had been hit, and then drew back when Inuyasha kneeled in front of him. A gasp of shock was heard, as the white-haired boy quickly grasped the younger boy's ear and twisted it.  
  
"Never...?" He whispered softly, gently. Too gently. Suddenly his hand brought his bat down on the boy's upper thigh. A loud cry was heard as a pair of birds fluttered away in surprise from outside.  
  
"And I'll never smoke again." He exhaled right in front of his nose, before standing up again. "Don't bother me, and stay away." His voice was enough to freeze fire into a huge block of dry ice.  
  
Inuyasha started walking towards the exit, now knowing that those three boys wouldn't be disturbing him again for a long time. At least, he'd make sure of it.  
  
The boy that had had his rear offended, staggered up slowly, blood stained on his upper lip from before. He scowled, before spitting his saliva mixed with blood on the path Inuyasha had just trodden. His friends rose hesitantly, eyes widening at the boy's boldness. Throwing a glare to Inuyasha's back, he muttered something and wiped the mouth with the back of his hand.  
  
"Stupid bastard..."  
  
By now, the boy should have known Inuyasha was no ordinary human. The ears that had been discreetly hidden behind a pile of white, silky hair twitched slightly. Inuyasha tossed the bat up in the air, and lifted his leg high to kick it backwards. The large wooden stick dove to a 'very' uncomfortable area, and another second later, a pained groan came from behind him.  
  
A group of girls came to see the commotion, but more particularly, one girl came to see Inuyasha. She smiled at him, flipping her hair and putting on a show. She made no act to acknowledge her previous ex-boyfriend, the guy who had just slumped to the ground in agony. Twirling a strand of hair with her index finger, she smiled subtely at the tall, handsome boy that passed by her.   
  
With the same casual and coolness he had had from the beginning, he threw his cigarette on the ground, putting the flame out with his heel before exiting the building. Passing the girl, Kikyou whom he fancied just slightly himself, he smiled a nice slow grin that would have made anyone swoon. His plan worked, for she sighed and fell into her friend's arms. His like for her distinguished just a little, for his pride and ego was swelling with his satisfaction. He had already a thick head. But like Kikyou cared. He was rich. And he had power.  
  
Although when it was him versus his father, his father always sufficed. Today he had promised his father that he'd come home earlier today. That boy was lucky he didn't have time. Dad wanted him to meet another new tutor. Crap...  
  
Hopping onto his motorcycle, he began to plot ways to torture his tutor and make him run away screaming. Last time he had succeeded in making him jump out the window. Quite something it had been to explain the piece of underwear fabric that the dogs were playing with.  
  
That tutor would get it. Bad.  
  
---------  
  
'Oh boy...' Kagome sighed inwardly. She was already late, the two boys in front of her were failing their classes, and they were discussing something obviously very inappropriate. She could hear their whispering above her own voice. If they were going to do something like that, they should have at least done it cleverly...  
  
Her patience was running thin.  
  
"What colour is it??" Whispered Miroku.  
  
Kouga hissed. "Well if you'd only get your fat head out of the way Houshi!"  
  
"Move your arm!"  
  
"I'll only move it to throw you out the window if you don't give me some room!"  
  
"Then just tell me what colour it is. Is it patterned? I've seen her wear ones with purple polka-dots before."  
  
"Miroku, Kouga?" Kagome suddenly called out sweetly. She lowered the large textbook she had been explaining to them on her lap, so the contents of her skirt were no longer visible to a certain two perverts.  
  
A grunt and the sound of two skulls making impact with eachother was heard before the two looked up from their 'note-taking'.  
  
"Yes, tutor Kagome?" They called out equally innocently. Their real feelings were too obvious though. Miroku sensing danger and tension radiating from the silence that was growing, remarked jerkily.  
  
"Tutor Kagome, may I mention that you are wearing very...uhm," He took a peek at the older girl. "lovely shoes?"  
  
Both Kouga and Kagome sweatdropped, each having a deadpan expression. But soon even that distraction faded away, for Kagome closed her eyes, her lips curling tightly.  
  
Kagome continued to smile for a moment, before her entire face turned a bright red, eyes slanting. She rose to her feet, whacking her student's heads together hard. Very...very hard. At least one had a thick head, and the other was already oblivious to everything except the things behind a girl's clothing. Huffing angrily, she slammed the door, putting on another grin for Miroku's father.  
  
"Going already Kagome?"  
  
"Yes. I'm afraid Miroku and Kouga have decided to fall asleep during my lesson, and I need to meet someone today." She said silkily. No doubt those two would have to run another lap around a large field. At least it was better than Kagome's punishments. Much, much better.  
  
She gave another false but bright smile, before stressing about her already busy schedule. She flipped out a piece of paper in which she had hastily scrawled the address of her new pupil. Then proceeding to tap the side of her head with her fist, she walked slowly through a very... rich neighborhood, it seemed.  
  
She had so many students nowadays, she couldn't get all of her studying done. Too busy to even meet Hojo nowadays... She bit her lip gently. Somehow she had to persuade her mother to get her out of this one. Why not someone else? Why her? She knew Sango wasn't too busy nowadays. Leave Miroku with Sango... that was a much better plan. She was sure Sango wouldn't protest (right? Of course not.) , much less Miroku.  
  
However, she shuddered at the thought of her mother. Last time she had persisted in trying to get rid of Kouga, not only did she get Miroku too, she also was so graciously presented with a bruise on her head.  
  
----  
  
"Mooom!" Kagome wailed as she entered the small chicken restaurant that had been built around her grandfather's shrine. "How could you leave me with Kouga?? He just won't...," She fiddled with the ends of her sweater, trying to search for a word. "behave!" She started to pretend to whine and whimper. Anyone, 'but' Kagome's mother would have gave in to her sweet face.  
  
Kagome's mother stopped chopping a freshly plucked chicken, and in one smooth motion threw the knife she had been using that was smeared with chicken guts at Kagome. Already knowing her mother would react like this, she tilted her head at a sharp angle, sticking out her tongue. "Missed me!" Oops...slip of tongue. That would come like a boomerang someday...  
  
Or right now.  
  
The knife's handle acted very much like the bird used during badminton. It bounced against the wall, and thunked right into Kagome's head.  
  
"Oww!" She started whimpered genuinely now, rubbing her head and squinting at her mother. The knife clattered to the floor, the tip dangerously in the direction of Kagome's feet.  
  
"Listen Kagome," Her mother started to speak in a warm, jolly tone, belying her previous, violent action. She smiled, and quietly bustled over to pick up the knife. "I've found another new student for you! And he is such a nice boy too. You'll have no trouble at all. His name is Houshi Miroku." She washed the dangerous object, continuing with her slicing. "You will teach him, won't you?" Her eyes flared dangerously at the last comment, bringing the knife down hard on the wooden tray. Blood squirted and landed on Kagome's cheek as she approached.  
  
She wiped it away, shuddering with disgust. As she saw her mother's eyes, a smile came immediately. "Of course Mom."  
  
Kagome gulped.  
  
----  
  
No trouble indeed. This time, she'd have to rid of the new student herself.  
  
She had only one choice. And it would work. She would give him a...'different' tutor...along with some change in her typical lessons. Ah, how sinister she could be when she was given the chance to... Her plan was unfolding in her mind, and she grinned mischeviously.  
  
That boy would get it. Bad.

* * *

I am not a good writer. -bites lip- It's a lousy first chapter...  
  
I'll make them long next time...this is just an introduction I suppose... Just review! I'm sure I did some (I'll change this to alot if you want me to) mistakes somewhere....this is basically my first fanfiction in which I have a decided plot. 


	2. Bad Day

I thought I should wait for at least one review, but I had exams anyway so my next chapter was delayed... Not that anyone noticed my story anyway.. ;; 'Christina', I know you're So-Jung. -.-; You can't read this... can you? o.O  
  
Disclaimer: I might as well own Inuyasha. I've drawn his pictures and he's in my sketchbook. He's mine. :3 -gets pummeled by threats- -brandishes katana- Fine! I don't own... -mumbles something-  
  
Hah! :P I never actually said it, and I never actually didn't say it either.  
  
If only there was real person with Inuyasha's looks. 3 (Don't hit me.)

* * *

Anything But This  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Bad Day

* * *

She was lost.  
  
Or was that the house? She wasn't sure at all. The paper in which she had hastily written the address...didn't exactly have the legible handwriting she required for herself to read it.  
  
Scratching her head, Kagome tried her best to read the letters and numbers, and randomly picked a house. She prayed she would be lucky. Crumpling up the paper which had no use to her in the first place, she threw it behind a garbage can leaning against a brick wall and heard a cat yowl. Oops. "Sorry!" She apologized to the feline, but it was obvious she wasn't understood, for it hissed as she neared. Shrugging, she went around the brick wall to the front of the dwelling.  
  
It wasn't a house. More of a modest mansion, with large black gates that led to a large path which in turn, led to two large front doors. Such big things overwhelmed her. Those gates were in her way. With some exasperation, she tried to push them open with her shoulder, already knowing that it was futile to do so. Oddly enough, they opened, and she stumbled in.  
  
Dusting invisible filth off her clothes, she found that the front doors were also unlocked, and pondered why as she opened them. Either they had lousy security, or someone had just left or entered the house. They might as well have shut the doors properly though.  
  
Stepping in, she was immediately met by exquisite architecture, grand designs and... uh. lots of rooms. What was she going to do now?...  
  
"Blast." She mumbled slightly, before taking her steps gingerly on the rugs and carpets. They were probably worth more than her entire wardrobe combined. With her confusement, she had forgotten her previous sinister motives, and was as harmless as a kitten.  
  
So it was not really a surprise when she gasped slightly as she saw a woman in a light purple robe, her hair wrapped in the same coloured towel. Her face was extremely queer however, and soon Kagome was able to discern it was probably a facial mask. Or...some kind of moisturizing cream? She was never good with make-up and things. Those kind of things never occured to her. Her mother wouldn't have allowed her to anyway. Even at this age...  
  
"Tutor...?" The woman mumbled. Or was it 'Neuter?' Kagome nodded slowly, then understood a few seconds later.  
  
"Ah!" The woman clapped as if she had discovered something extraordinary. "Hinally you haf cuh." Uh. What was that again?  
  
The woman parted her lips again to speak, but didn't make a sound. Kagome could see a good portion of her face crack, or rather, it was whatever that was on it that was cracking. Suddenly she made a whining noise, hands coming to her face. Then a squeak, and the older woman ran out of the room.  
  
She raised her eyebrow. Maybe whatever that was on her face had dried? Strange... But obviously very rich. She could just imagine the amount of zeros she would see soon in her wallet.  
  
That would only happen if she taught her student, and she was obviously right in coming here. Wandering around for a bit, she found some stairs and began climbing them before she saw a boy probably two years older than her. He had long river of white hair with a silver sheen, and for a moment she was paralyzed with the desire to touch it. This couldn't be her new student, could it?  
  
Probably not. He was obviously more intelligent than her and it didn't seem like he was waiting for someone like her to come teach him. But, better safe than sorry.  
  
"Hi." She said softly, before regaining her confidence. Her voice slipped into her false but seemingly genuine tone of understanding and patience. Lord knows she had little of those. "I'm Higurashi Kagome, and soon to be tutoring someone who lives here. Would that possibly be you?" She smiled.  
  
He looked at her, turning to her slowly and her thoughts were immediately confirmed. No smile, no emotion, just an impassive but almost bored look. He was intelligent, but it didn't seem like he felt anything about it. Or felt anything about anything at all.  
  
"No." He said monotonously. "That would be my brother, Inuyasha. I am Sesshoumaru." She inwardly gulped. Unique names, peculiar names... Scary names.  
  
Sesshoumaru looked right at Kagome strangely, and she could feel herself squirming under his stare. Suddenly he spoke. "I trust you will teach my brother well." It wasn't a question, nor a request. It was like a command from some high and powerful, and she hadn't been ordered around like so before.  
  
Before she had a change to even comprehend that, he was already walking down the rest of the stairs and going out the door she had just come out of a few minutes earlier. She was able to conclude he wouldn't be around much, and also that she wouldn't like him.  
  
She was getting more and more frightened as she climbed the steps. It was pretty evident that 'Inuyasha' would either be as strange, or stranger than the rest of his family. They could at least be more polite... Be more ready to welcome her, at least tell her where Inuyasha's room was!  
  
Huffing as she reached the top of the stairs, she could hear a muffled bang. Something hard falling on carpet probably. It was behind the door to an ominous looking room. Slowly she approached, pushing open the door gently.  
  
"Hello....?" She whispered softly.  
  
No one was there.  
  
She entered slowly, seeing an object on the floor that had probably been the cause of the thump. She gently dropped her bag onto a table. Picking the anonymous object up, she saw it to be a picture frame and took a closer look at the picture. A white-haired boy, with a coy smirked on his face. In his hand was a snowball, and as she continued to walk around the very large room, she saw more pictures of the strange boy. Probably Inuyasha...  
  
Another thump.  
  
She whirled around quickly, and inhaled sharply. Reflexively her hand flew out to slap the person. Someone grabbed her wrist effortlessly. Whirling around, she was nose to chest to....who?  
  
Kagome rose her head slowly, and saw that same white-haired boy, but probably her age now. First she registered his looks, then she finally realized why she felt so uncomfortable. Particularly, the things that were wrong. All piling up, really.  
  
One. He was invading her personal space. Two. Someone should know she would have been shocked enough to attack the person that alarmed her. Three. Let go of my hand!  
  
Making an effort to keep the same expression she had had in front of Sesshoumaru earlier, she calmly spoke.  
  
"It would be nice if you would release my hand."  
  
Something twitched on his head. Her gaze flew to them. Then she started hyperventilating. Ears? Ears?? White ears?? What the hell was going on?  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
He asked roughly, letting go of her wrist. She resisted the urge to glare at him, point a finger in front of his nose and... Oh my god. Those ears had 'moved'. Clutching the fabric of her shirt at her chest, she whispered a prayer before speaking.  
  
"Higurashi Kagome, Inuyasha's tutor. You are Inuyasha, right?"  
  
He looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face. Suddenly he shoved past her to a couch, flipping out a lighter and a cigarette. Flopping down, he lit the cigarette, inhaling huge breaths at a time.  
  
"I don't need a tutor."  
  
Kagome didn't need that either. Although anyone else might have shrugged that away, she wasn't known for being too lenient. Especially when things were whirling in all different directions. Everything was just not 'right'. Miroku and Kouga, strange families, funky abnormal ears and a pupil that was probably her same age. She could go on with this one. Egotistic behavior, smoking...she was making lists in her head again.  
  
"Look." She said snappishly, marching up to him boldly. "I never said you needed a tutor, or that you didn't need one. I just 'am' your tutor, so deal with it."  
  
His eyes widened, then immediately narrowed. He rose to a rigid, straight position. It reminded her of a dog anticipating a treat or waiting for a command from it's owner. Ironic really. "Do you want to die, bitch?"  
  
She looked at him disbelievingly and then rolled her eyes. "Petty threats don't scare me. And by the way, there are a few rules before we start our lessons. Number one. No smoking. Number two. Don't call me a bitch."  
  
Kagome eyed the cigarette he was puffing warily. He flicked the smoldering ash onto her shoes, before standing again. He was obviously undaunted. Suddenly she regretted her words. He was awfully tall to be her student. Tall and intimidating.  
  
"Like I give a flying rat's ass." He walked towards the window that she hadn't noticed before, but still continued to glare at him.  
  
"You know..." He threw his burned-up cigarette outside the window before flipping something out of his pocket deftly. Between his fingers was a flat, green bill. (I'm doing dollars here. Don't like it? Don't read.) He extended his hand, the ten dollar bill flapping slightly with the breeze coming through the open window. "I've got stuff to do and places to go, so just take this and don't tell my mum or dad." His amber eyes hardened to a flawless gold.  
  
Typically, she wouldn't take from strangers and much less this new person with white ears on his white head who didn't look at all friendly. But his eyes hadn't their soft melting honey colour anymore. It was sharp and lethal. She doubted those were actual colours. Hesitantly, she took the bill, making sure it was real. Money was good though, and she had more time to study. Win, win thing, right?  
  
"So long then." He whipped his hand to the side carelessly and leaped out the window. Kagome gasped and ran to the edge. With an agility and accuracy a cat would admire, he jumped to the ground right below them with only a sharp 'whap' from his stylish shoes and ran off to another large extension of the house she hadn't seen. Seeing cars there, she guessed he wouldn't be walking to wherever he needed to go.  
  
At least she was rid of one lesson, an obnoxious guy and got ten bucks along with more time for her studying than usual. Getting her pack, she noticed that it was at a different angle than she had last seen it on the table covered with pictures. Easily forgetting it, this belied her previous impatient disposition. She withdrew her wallet to insert her new ten into it. A few seconds later she realized her mistake.  
  
"These are 'my' ten dollars!"  
  
Another heartbeat, and her frustration was focused on one thing only. She crossed the four-step distance to the window in one leap.  
  
"You jerk! Get back here!!" She could see him exiting with a motorcycle now. She screamed, not caring who heard anymore. "I'm telling your parents!!"  
  
He looked at her with a surprised expression, and then smirked. "Like I said. I don't give."  
  
A squeaky squeal slash roar noise came from the back of her throat as she tugged at the ends of her hair nervously. Accidently yanking off a few strands in the process, she clumsily found her way out of the seemingly empty house. Now she knew why he had used the window. So less complicated routes.  
  
She could either try to stop him or something, actually follow her word and discuss this with his parents, or return home.  
  
As much as she disliked the idea, her mother was still someone to complain to. And she was the punchbag. Besides, catching up with him, she'd need a really fast car. And if she told his mother and father, they might blame her for not even being able to watch out for him. As if she was a babysitter. Maybe that'd be better than having to teach people like her students...  
  
Reaching the shrine, she shoved through the doors and whined.   
  
"Maaa!!"  
  
...  
  
Thunk.  
  
Guess what that sound was?

* * *

I need inspiration. Enough said. 


	3. Why Me

-hyperventilates- I got reviews, two reviews. Oh yeah. :D -dweeb- reviewsreviewsreviewreviewsreviewsreviews.  
  
I'm going to make everyone sick of that word, and then hypnotize them, and then make them into my zombies and order them around. Cause I'm the Cricket King. 3  
  
no. seriously. oo;  
  
Disclaimer: I am the Cricket King and I own everything. 3 -gets whacked- uh...except. Inuyasha. ;; you creul creul people. -beats-  
  
well actually, you aren't creul. especially those two reviewers. -grins like an idiot-  
Okay...I'll stop. For the sake of those that want to live past their teenage years without seeing me go insane.

* * *

Anything But This  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Why Me

* * *

Thunk.  
  
The impact of the remote control and Kagome's head made a dull thunk, soon followed by the clatter and rolling of batteries that had fallen out of their case. (Maybe this is considered abuse, but it happens to me. lol;;; I know some familes that start wrestling...oo)  
  
She should have known that would have happened. She did know that actually, but it never occured to her that she'd get hurt as soon as she entered the door.  
  
"I was on the phone Kagome. You should have known better than to start wailing while I was talking with Hojo." Kagome's mother said as she dropped the phone into it's proper area.  
  
"Hojo...?" She whispered slowly, her anger replaced with regret. She should have run faster! Actually, that probably wasn't possible, because of the fact her pack was bouncing against her back heavily and slowing each step of hers down.  
  
"What'd he say??" She immediately cut in, while her mother returned to the kitchen. Kagome bent down to pick up the remote control, shifted the batteries into place and tossed it on along with her bag on the couch before following her. Lovely spicy smells were inhaled through her nose slowly, much better than that smokey stench that still clung to her clothes. She looked down at them reflexively.  
  
"He said...," Her mother tapped her chin. She was plotting something, obviously. "He said he was busy this weekend, so told me to tell you not to let himself get in the way of your studying."  
  
Kagome's face frowned as soon as the word 'busy' reached her ears. Pouting, she sat down at the nearest wobbly chair. "What's he up to?"  
  
"He's doing some services for the orphanage and the church...--I hope you heard me Kagome Don't let him get in the way." Kagome had already flipped out her notebook with her weeks schedule and trying to fit a visit to the orphanage on Sunday. She laughed nervously, before tucking it in her pocket again but in her mind she was still trying to find a way.  
  
Her mother turn to her abruptly and said flatly, "You got home early."  
  
No question, just a statement, but Kagome was, as always, pulled to answer it. "I...uh. new student was kind of busy. I still talked to him." She added the latter hastily, finding her mother's last look one of suspicion. Plus, her mouth had been parting. Most likely to spout a lecture and to scold again.  
  
Her mom looked thoughtful. It was impossible to predict what would happen...soon enough. "What did you talk about?"  
  
"Like, how he was doing with his school work and where he is starting to find trouble in studying." She stated with as much conviction as a compulsive liar. She had too many experieces of other failing students to not have a reasonable excuse. "We were kind of cut off, because like I said, he was busy."  
  
A smile appeared on her mother's face, but it remained as illusive and furtive as ever. "You can continue that conversation with him this weekend then. You probably will have little to do on Sunday since Hojo is busy. I'll arrange a dinner."  
  
And when was it that her mother was encouraging her studies? She had been planning something, but Kagome was still clueless on why she was doing this. (You can guess, but they'll probably be wrong. It's really random. Think, randomness! -pops out-) Already knowing that with her persistant protests, in the end her mother would always avail, she shrugged grudgingly and went to her room.  
  
Lord knew that her having to spend time with that fluffy-eared guy would eventually end up... bad. Really bad. It was even worse to know that he was trying so hard not to care, when he probably did. Impatience and a bubbling anger ready to erupt when the time came and everything collided. He was trying to appear casual, reposed, and most of all, cool and even-tempered. It was evident he didn't much care when it came to her though, but as long as she bashed at him in front of other people, it would seem like he was the victim and she the offender.  
  
Her thoughts all scrambled to get across her mind, the last one lingered longest and stayed in her mind even while she stayed up late flipping through her textbooks.  
  
...  
  
...  
  
What the heck was she supposed to wear??  
  
----------  
  
[Inuyasha]  
  
Boy, this was dull, and boring. He regretted not going into college, even while he was supposed to. These stupid people giggled and blushed over small things and started screaming whenever he came by. That had been funny once, but now it was just making him extremely irate.  
  
And although he couldn't say he really 'liked' Kikyou in the first place, she was pretty quiet and undemanding. Unlike the others. Although when it came down to just him as the topic, she was prancing around like everyone else.  
  
It was lunch time. Even while she twirled the necklace he had given her as a present last week, somehow his thoughts always ran to that weird, young tutor. Kag...something. Whatever it had been, she looked pretty damn close to Kikyou and had thought that maybe they were related. It was so unlikely thinking about it actually, he reassured himself. That tutor was probably an old hag under tons of make-up and simply 'seemed' like Kikyou. He hadn't seen her that well anyway.  
  
"The chain is silver, and all of the dangling...yes, they are diamonds." She smiled, pointing at them. Each one of her friends gaped and whispered and just simply did things teenage girls did. "Inuyasha got it in Ah-me-li-ca." Kikyou recited slowly, priding herself on speaking English. This time her friends gasped things like 'wow' over such a 'long' word. (This is seriously what happens when you speak English in foreign countries. XD;)  
  
"So Inuyasha...," Kikyou turned to him. He didn't move physically but mentally for he had just woken from his jumbled thoughts.  
  
"What did you get me this time?" Was it already that time of week? The time where he gave Kikyou yet another present and she cooed over it, attracting some certain ex-boyfriends... Ah, they were already eyeing him now.  
  
Deciding to put on a show, he dramatically pulled out a small gift-wrapped box from his jacket. With some skills he'd taught himself from playing pool, he twirled the box and presented it before Kikyou in mid-bow. Nearly all eyes were on him by then, but for the final effect his eyebrows darted up seductively.  
  
Never had he ever bothered to humiliate himself so much, but lately, knowing that he was the oldest anyway, it didn't seem to matter. He could put on a show, and some would consider it as spectacular as a movie.  
  
Oiy, they were coming. It was said a mob had many heads but no brains. Thus was the case as three boys and a few other friends gathered around the lunch table Inuyasha was sitting at. Paying them no attention at all, he waited until Kikyou had taken the gift and with as much grace as before, simply sat down to his lunch tray. To tell the truth, he had been hungry.  
  
Soon he heard a cry of protest, something shredding and warm breathing behind his neck. He could either be that that was it had been Kikyou who had had her gift snatched away from her, the wrapping torn and the person holding it right behind him. Or it could have been all of the above.  
  
"What's this?" The boy asked angrily, but his voice quivered slightly from tension. He was playing for his friends too as Inuyasha had done. In his hand was a Calvin Klein perfume bottle, expensive quality, from 'Ah-me-li-ca'.  
  
Inuyasha continued eating.  
  
"Are you deaf, you son of a--"  
  
Two seconds passed.  
  
And by then, the boy was unconscious on the floor, the gift was back in Inuyasha's left hand, and in his right hand was his lunch tray, in the spot where the boy had been. A big bruise started to swell on the boy's forehead and everyone immediately backed away from the group. Those that were foolish and brave came to observe, and each got a whack on the head by one of Inuyasha's friends.  
  
Some people would just never learn...  
  
----------  
  
[Kagome]  
  
"When will you just try to learn Inuyasha??" Kagome cried out, her tone a mixture of desperation, exasperation and lots of other things. Mostly frustration though.  
  
"Iono."  
  
"Don't you even read anything?" Her last attempt.  
  
"Sure." He walked across the very large room which could have made at least one floor of a regular house, and came back. Lying back down on the couch, he started flipping through the pages of a magazine.  
  
"What is that?..." Kagome asked icily, but alot more relieved than before. At least he attempted to learn something... Even if it was a magazine.  
  
He looked at her, and then tossed it on the table Kagome was sitting at. Inuyasha regarded her with some amusement as he absorbed some satisfaction in seeing her face's emotions.  
  
"Playboy..." She said dryly, and looked up to see him pulling out another cigarette. He was 'really' testing her patience.  
  
"Put it away." Kagome said.  
  
He didn't look at her, and didn't seem like he was listening to her. He continued and lifted the flame to his mouth...  
  
No. She was going to explode before she allowed one entire lesson to go his way.  
  
Rising from the floor, she purposely stomped on the floor, and grabbed the lighter and cigarette. With the lighter, she threw it out the window, and shoved the other object up his nose.  
  
1.2 seconds.  
  
"You whore!! You do want to die, don't you??!" He was obviously outraged, and his carefully groomed white waterfall of hair hung about his face limply, revealing two 'very' visible ears. Her eyes hadn't failed last time.  
  
Instead, she was too shocked to hear him. "What the fuck are those?"  
  
His face flushed, then came to a pale colour. Jumping off the couch, he ran into the bathroom and shut the door.  
  
Talk about modesty in a man...  
  
At least Kagome had been able to get his attention. It had been over half an hour and all they had accomplished was to call eachother names. This was alot of progress.  
  
A few minutes later, she was able to hear water running. Her face turned red again, anger boiling in her. What kind of person, even if they did have dog ears or the like, left in the middle of a lesson to take a shower?  
  
Damn. She mentally crossed out the insult that had anything to do with him smelling.  
  
Crossing her arms, she waited for three minutes and finally heard the door open. Reflexively she turned, but then stopped just in time before she saw anything beyond the walls.  
  
"Why did you take a shower?" She bit out through clenched teeth, her voice rising.  
  
"I have to go somewhere. Plans."  
  
For the past week, he had been avoiding at least half of the lesson claiming he had to go elsewhere. This time he would stay, and her mind completely forgot the situation and turned around to yell at him.  
  
But he cried out first, a grunt actually. He had just fallen to the floor from his bed in an attempt to hide himself. Gasping, she closed her eyes, covered her face and turned around. "I did not see anything, I did not see anything, I did not see anything, I did not see anything..." was her chant for the next few minutes. By now, even the ear issue had fled from her mind.  
  
Suddenly a hand grasped her shoulder and she jumped in surprised. "Damnit, did you want to see that much?" Once again his eyebrows rose subtely, all in attempt to try to scare her away. He could just hope that she was prudish enough.  
  
Trying to control the heat in her cheeks, she shook her head. "No, you're not even worth a glance, you pompous pig."  
  
He wagged a finger, his confidence back. "Stop bashing at my ego. But I've got to go anyway."  
  
He hadn't expected such a small girl, or young woman to move so fast. He had just turned around, and had felt the absence of her slim shoulder, only to see that she was right in front of him with a clearly pissed expression on her face. He himself was getting extremely annoyed with her persistance as well.  
  
Shoving past her without a word, he walked towards the window... until he felt a sharp yank from behind.  
  
"You're not going anywhere." She said coldly, tugging at his freshly-ironed shirt.  
  
"Hey, stop! You're stretching it!" He said, trying to get away and at the same time trying to avoid ruining his clothes at the same time. She merely gave an experimental pull. With no choice, he fell backwards into her. With a low cry, they both tumbled down to the floor, Kagome being squashed by the more larger Inuyasha.  
  
"Gitoff me!" She said, biting his shoulder just to emphasize the fact he should get up quickly. Success. Inuyasha jumped up and began rubbing the offended limb.  
  
"Great...germs. I've come to think wrinkles are better.." He said sarcastically, then glared at her. "You aren't going to stop until you get what you want, are you?"  
  
The out-of-breath Kagome had just pulled herself up into a sitting position, but had enough voice to speak. "Lovely observation, you just figured that out now?"  
  
Her tone irked her, but he tried to keep his anger at bay. It was bad enough that she was able to get it out every time they met, but it was that she did it too.  
  
"Hey, if you seriously are going to go, and if you didn't know this before I told you, it'll spoil your day." She smiled slyly.  
  
He scoffed, and then rolled his eyes. "My day is already ruined."  
  
"Oh?" She said raising an eyebrow. "So it won't matter if I said that you have to cancel all plans on Sunday."  
  
A snort. "And, uh...why?"  
  
"You don't know, do you?" She shook her head. "I'm having dinner at your...house thinger-ma-jigger."  
  
He gaped, horrified.

* * *

s(-v) Boy this chapter is long. Your welcome! :P  
  
And Inuyasha isn't just horrified because Kagome's going to be over. He doesn't find her THAT revolting. It's actually a special day for him... oops! said too much. oO the Sunday dinner though, I'm planning it to be on the chapter after the next one.  
  
The title of the next chapter: ...Iono. ;; 


	4. Living to Control

Sorry for lateness! I've had exams, and I'm such an idiot. My grades have dropped 50% or more. I suck fish guts.  
  
So I won't keep you waiting for a unnaturally short chapter. Sorry about that.   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Anything But This  
  
Chapter 4  
  
Living to Control

* * *

"What??"  
  
"You heard me. You'll go buy some more textbooks, and take a few sticker photos with her." Inuyasha's father said calmly.  
  
"But I'm busy tonight! I..have..uhm." Inuyasha quickly searched his mind for a excuse, but his father cut in first.  
  
"Tutor lessons, I know. Why are you so reluctant? She's not a bad girl." Inuyasha snorted, disbelievingly. Obviously his dad didn't know anything about her.  
  
And a realization about that hit him hard, like a punch in the gut. It meant he knew her well. Pbffth. She was just so flippin' stubborn it was hard not to see it.  
  
"Fine..fine." Inuyasha, 0; Dad, 1. Once again victory went to his father. One day he'd have his win though... one day.  
  
"Hey dad!" Inuyasha called out hopefully to his father's retreating figure. A responsive grunt indicated he had heard. "Does this mean the Sunday dinner is off?"  
  
---------  
  
"Whose name was the White House under when it tried to deal with 1993 economic conditions and economics of healthcare?"  
  
"..."  
  
"Okay, maybe that was kind of hard. What about...uh... Which of the following is #1 when it comes to importance?: Financial Security, Freedom of Speech, Equality of Oppurtunity, Self-reliance, Loyalty to country, tolerance of others, Freedom of religion, Individual initiative, Right to private property, Government by law and not individuals, Concern for the underdog, Fair play, Justice or Order in Society."  
  
"..." Inuyasha simply stared.  
  
And stared. He was thinking of a White house that was worrying for their drowning dog by financially securing the economics of healthcare.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome called out softly, lowering the large book propped on the desk. It was creepy whenever he lost himself like that, a feeling of tension wound around everything. You never knew when he would pounce again...  
  
She clucked her tongue, as if she was calling a dog. Then snapped her fingers. He still wasn't moving...  
  
"Inuyasha!" She slapped both sides of his head at once and withdrew quickly behind the desk. He may burst out angrily...  
  
"What the hell-- Why?" He said suddenly in English. (You should know you have to say 'what'. ) Kagome sighed, wrinkling her nose at him and speaking.  
  
"You have the most freakiest way of falling asleep, you know that?"  
  
Inuyasha blinked. "I do?"  
  
Kagomed rolled her eyes, but suddenly something vibrated in her pack. Her cellphone. Digging through her bag to find it, she finally discovered it, muttered a 'never mind' and flipped it open. "Hello?"  
  
Inuyasha scowled. Who was the one interrupting the lesson now? However, Kagome's next reaction alarmed him very much.  
  
...She practically melted into a chocolately, too sickeningly sweet gloop before his eyes.  
  
"Oh, it's YOU Hojo..." She giggled. He blinked again.  
  
"No, no! It's fine, I can see how you were busy..." She grinned, embracing the phone like a babe and chewing on the ends of her fingers. Inuyasha started to gag.  
  
"Next Saturday?? Of course!" She said a little too excitedly, causing a certain white-eared person to have his eye start twitching.  
  
"Mmm... oh." She blushed scarlett. "I love you too Hojo...see you next week..." She shut the phone, kissed it and sighed, melting into a puddle. Her student's reaction was to start vomiting.  
  
Inuyasha rose again a few seconds later, and started drumming his fingers on the desk impatiently. Kagome looked at him strangely, a look of wonder and surprise.  
  
'When did he come here?' She thought, and then remembered. Funny how Hojo could just swirl her brain around and turn it into mush.  
  
"Who's Hobo?" Inuyasha scoffed. "Your boyfriend?"  
  
"Hojo? Oh...yeah." Kagome said mildly.  
  
It was his turn to be shocked. He would never have guessed, even with that last 'I love you' comment that she had had a boyfriend. It just didn't seem possible. He had doubted this girl had a world beyond tutoring him and irritating him to no ends.  
  
"I guess you're not as innocent as I thought you were. Not that you're really that innocent in the first place anyway..." He said smugly, finding amusement in seeing her face turn bright shades of pink from being so mortified and then red from fury.  
  
"You perv! Is that all you have stored in your pea-sized brain?!" She yelled at him, grabbing at two long streams of hair and yanking at his head.  
  
Her heart skipped a beat. She had forgotten about those dog ears. Inuyasha sensed her sudden curiousity, belying her violence from earlier, and knew what she was seeing right there. Fammit.  
  
He tried to push her off, and could easily have done it, but she was a girl...with two locks of 'his' hair in her fists.  
  
"Stop." She said breathlessly. "Are those fake?"  
  
Ah, the girl had unconsciously given him an excuse.  
  
"Of course they are fake...I just kind of put them on because, because... I have so much hair..." Suddenly he felt two small hands twist his ears, and they twitched. Bad move.  
  
She screamed, and from being next to him, now she fell into his lap still with his hair like a horse's reins. Tugging his head along with her in an odd way, his lips were only a few millimeters from her shoulder.  
  
"Those aren't fake." She said, trembling. The stupid girl probably didn't notice the silly position they were in. Her hands reached out to tweak them again, but he seriously wanted no more trouble.  
  
He dumped her from his lap by standing up, and went as far away as possible but still in the room. "They are furry ...and animated. I couldn't just buy something simple with my money, could I?" His voice sped up, and he laughed nervously, but slowed down as he another thought entered his mind.  
  
"Speaking of money and buying...," He grabbed her scrawny wrist, jumped out the window despite her protests and screams, then dragged her to his motorcycle. "My dads wants me to get some new books, and I'm supposed to take pictures with you. Cooperate, or you can bet you'll die." Placing her slim figure in the front, he strapped her down and got on himself.  
  
He sped up as he saw a bookstore. He wanted to forget that ordeal. She couldn't find out...  
  
--------  
  
"Just get in!" Inuyasha growled, trying to shove a stubborn-as-a-rock Kagome into a sticker photo square. He wanted this over with...  
  
"No." Arrogant as ever.  
  
"Why not??" He said impatiently with exasperation, but then lifted Kagome, carrying her into the square and then stepped on her shoes to nail her down to the ground.  
  
"I don't have time for this!" She cried out desperately.  
  
"You can, and you do." Wearing an obviously fake smile on his face, he gritted his teeth and shoved Kagome forward. "Say it!"  
  
"Screw you!" She grinned and then made a sour face while the camera was still flashing and then jumped out to attack Inuyasha for making him do that.  
  
"You idiot! I can't believe I just did that. Anyone seeing us would think we were a..." She coughed lightly, realizing what she had been about to say.  
  
"Or something..."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, come on." Inuyasha said impatiently, losing a few coins in his pocket during the process. It didn't matter to him at the time anyway, he was late.  
  
"Those better be good pictures..." He yanked out the smooth plastic that was being printed, grabbed her by the waist and rode home as quickly as possible.  
  
Which wasn't quick enough.  
  
---------  
  
They were stopped by a group of girls.  
  
Kagome was shocked to see a girl that could have been easily mistaken for being her or vice verce. The girls were all questioning Inuyasha about...her seemingly. They glared and whispered and made her uncomfortable in their tight-fitting clothes compared to her tacky ones. She was about to yell at Inuyasha, whack him over the head and demand to be driven home but suddenly things got quiet and tense.  
  
He was over by an old building, discussing things in a low voice with another man. He nodded, and then suddenly entered the building, heading towards the roof.  
  
Kagomed started panicking. She was alone. Inuyasha was leaving. She was around strangers. 'I want to go home.' She whimpered.  
  
She knew Inuyasha wasn't the best support in the world, but he knew these weird, scary, tough people. She absent-mindedly jumped off from the motorcycle and was about to follow him into the building until her freaky twin stopped her.  
  
"What are you doing with my face?" She spit her saliva over to the side where they were confronting eachother, her friends beginning to gather around them both. Kagomed glared at them all, angry at their disrespectfulness. She was after all, a year or two older than them.  
  
"And what are you doing with Inuyasha, hag?"  
  
Hag? She never recalled that being in college would make people consider that you were an old woman. Kagome crossed her arms, and spoke as confidently as she could. Which wasn't too confident, unfortunately.  
  
"You have MY face, I was born before you. And I'm Inuyasha's tutor. Where is he going?" The latter was added with a stronger fierceness. She was angry at him, and fed up with all the disorganization of everything. She liked things clear and clean, neat and tidy. He was changing all that. Just one person.  
  
"He's having another fight, what's it to you?"  
  
"A fight?..." Kagomed breathed, and her twin snorted and rolled her eyes.  
  
"Do you think he's having a tea party? He's just fighting." Her eyes glazed over, and she suddenly spoke in a feeble, wistful voice.  
  
"I wish I could see him just once... I swear that guy is perfect."  
  
Perfect? Pbffth. He was as perfect as nitrogen was hot. Kagome shoved them all out of the way, and ran up the stairs two at a time. She was going to be in alot of trouble, and because he just happened to get in a physical quarrel with someone. Why was everything so....wrong??  
  
Huffing as she reached the roof floor, she got there in time to see mass destruction and several unconscious people. Right before her, was Inuyasha, tossing another man over to the side, adding to his pile. Broken bottles, over turned trash cans.... Everything. She could even see a gun. And Inuyasha...was bleeding. Abruptly but yet in a graceful motion, he turned to her, smirking, his eyes aglow.  
  
She didn't know what she felt just then, but it was something very thrilling. Excitement, amusement, joy,...control. That was what he was feeling. But that was still absolutely no reason to go off slagging off everyone he disliked.  
  
She could hear sirens in the distance, and couldn't comprehend what they were. Inuyasha registered it first.  
  
"Oh fuck. Cops." He muttered nearly inaudibly.  
  
Another second later, she was thrown onto his back, and it was all she had to cling to his neck and wrap her legs around his waist to keep from falling. But they were alreading falling anyway. Inuyasha could grow up to be a stuntman someday... He had jumped off the low building.  
  
The last thing she heard, or felt before she fell unconsciousness from being so overwhelmed, was his steady heartbeat.  
  
And her last thought was this.  
  
"I'm going to kill him."

* * *

Sorry. It's late, and I'm so tired. I've been walking for more tha seven hours and went to school Saturday (as always.). 


	5. Jolly ol' Sunday

I'll try to make this chapter long because the last one was so freakishly short. (From the last chapter: Fammit is my word. :3)  
  
By the way, my 'n' key is so messed up...if I have a typo and the 'n' is missing, blame my keyboard. ;;  
  
Oh my goodness. I got so many reviews! :D Thanks especially to CrystallineX for encouraging me though I stink at writing fanfiction (and everything else for that matter)...but yeah. ;D  
  
So that's why this chapter is here, even though I have to go to bed.   
  
Whoops! Almost forgot the Disclaimer! -innocent look to a group of lawyers- ee;  
  
Disclaimer: I scrambled the words. You figure it out from there. ; Don't. I. Own. Inuyasha?  
  
XD;

* * *

Anything But This  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Jolly ol' Sunday

* * *

"You are not sick." Kagome's mother said flatly.  
  
Kagome was in bed, partially feigning illness. She also looked a bit flushed and seemed to be sweating. Nice effects. If you didn't consider she had been slapping, pinching, rubbing and spraying her face with water for the past twenty minutes before her mother had just come in.  
  
Kagome had just said she had not felt well. She could have said that last night she had skydived off the tallest building in Japan--exaggeration obviously, but from that fall, it pretty much seemed like it-- but then she'd be pummeled and trampled with questions and then eventually, the consequences. From both very angry families and one particular Inuyasha.  
  
"Ma..." Her breath was labored and she gasped. "I'm still not feeling well...and I'm tired."  
  
"The aftereffects of eating like a horse during lunch." Her mother did not yeild. "You can be sick and tired at their house."  
  
"But Mama! I'm also full, like you said!" She suddenly grabbed her mother's legs as she turned to leave, being dragged from the bed onto the floor.  
  
"Get OFF me Kagome!" Kagome's mother made a large effort to peel herself off from her clingy daughter.  
  
"Ma, no! Just today, I mean, it's Sunday! And that family is just...weird! Inuyasha has ears!" Kagomed continued to plead and whine.  
  
"Everybody has ears Kagome!" Exasperation.  
  
"But..." Kagomed started.  
  
"No." Well...that obviously wasn't going to work. It was just so ironic that the things that actually did go as planned was something that shouldn't have been.  
  
Kagome's mother finally shook her daughter of her leg, gave a dismissive wave and closed the door.  
  
"Wear something quickly, I'll drive you."  
  
Kagome sighed, crossed her arms and just sat there stubbornly. For a while she just had her lips puckered to the side, chewing the inside of her mouth thoughtfully, but after that even her rear got sore and she got up to dress grumpily.  
  
It was said you could lead a horse to water but you could not make it drink. She'd dress and leave. But what she wore was a different matter that had not been specified.  
  
Hopping into her closet, she started to put on clothes her Grandfather had bought her. Everything down to frilly, polka-dotted shirts to rainbow-striped tights.  
  
She knew she'd make a big fool of herself, but this was also a plan to prevent any more dinners with THAT family.  
  
"Ewe.." Kagomed muttered as she found a pair of purple, seemingly-elastic, tapered pants. It looked horrible with an orange coloured handbag.  
  
Which made it all so perfect.  
  
-----  
  
Inuyasha gaped.  
  
And gaped.  
  
And looked horrified.  
  
It was even worse than he thought, also adding to the fact he had to cancel plans with a very moody Kikyou and probably have her ex-boys snapping at his tail calling him a wimp the following Monday. Besides, they were beginning to terrorize his group and he also had to worry about the person that made them continue these quarrels.  
  
There were rumors this person was their boss, sharp, charismatic, lethal and clever. Nara...something. (Make a connection, people. ;D)  
  
It was a wonder how they still didn't get the idea he didn't want to play anymore games with them after nearly demolishing them on a rooftop.  
  
He had made Kagome promise not to discuss the events of yesterday to anyone. It would have been easy, if the stupid fool wasn't so scared. The poor girl could barely stand and it was all he had to get her to finally stop choking him to speak. But after that she had started to run away, probably frightened now because she had seen what he had been capable of.  
  
Fammit.  
  
He knew she just wore those clothes to spite him, but she really did NOT have to have that extra flower-shaped orange bag. It was enough to see her hair in two frizzy pigtails tied up by pink laces.  
  
Once he had thought she looked like Kikyou. But even then, you kind of had to look hard. They wore and acted differently, and radiated off a different kind of power.  
  
But now you could only look at her and have your eyes splinter. Ouch.  
  
The doorbell rang.  
  
Inuyasha took on a resigned expression, and went downstairs oh so grudgingly. She was probably enjoying every second of humiliating herself. Only someone like her could pull even THAT off.  
  
Strong-willed, sharp-tongued and determined.  
  
....somehow that had come out as a compliment within an insult.  
  
Whatever...  
  
---------  
  
Seeing her across the dinner table was worse. She was giggling like those other high school girls and blinked very strongly whenever she grinned.  
  
Even without having ten minutes passed, the brothers were already glowering at eachother. Sesshoumaru, of all people, was snickering at Inuyasha behind his impassive, detached face. His sadistic amusement was clear in his eyes.  
  
At least the food distracted him from her. Alot of delicious dishes were served because that girl was here, and he had at least one thing to be grateful for.  
  
Eventually, even that distraction wore off and Inuyasha was picking at the crumbs on his plate mildly.  
  
He used every opportunity to glare at the girl whenever his parents weren't looking. She merely wrinkled her nose and stuck her tongue out at him with the same discreetness.  
  
She was obviously not a picky girl. Her chopsticks stabbed at all of his favourite foods, make him cringe away in fear of her cooties.  
  
Funny how he still called a girls disgusting saliva cooties.  
  
Finally his mother managed to make conversation during the silent dinner.  
  
"So Kagome, what is your major in college?" His mom asked almost shyly, but even her bashfulness was full of feminine grace and beauty.  
  
"Uhm. Political Economics." Kagome blinked that stupid blink again. "Lots of graphing stuff." She said with her mouth full, then nodded.  
  
Inuyasha was further disgusted. His father saw his face and sent him a look that had him smiling along with Kagome. Because of this, even his dad spoke.  
  
"Is Inuyasha behaving?" He questioned, eying his son, and then Kagome carefully. Inuyasha looked at Kagome almost desperately.  
  
"Uh.." Kagome swallowed carefully, the thoughts in her mind were only about blood, scary twins and dead-looking people. "Of course. I'm just not sure if he's absorbing it all." She laughed a nasal laugh. "Why? Is he not cooperating at school?" She said jokingly.  
  
"Of course I cooperate at school. It's some other people that don't..." Inuyasha cut in, but his voice trailed off as he caught lots of puzzled stares aimed at him. Uh oh. Questions would be fired at him after dinner...definitely. He mentally slapped himself, hard.  
  
His mother coughed. "Anyway...," She looked at her son's tutor through observative eyes. "You do have a very 'interesting' taste in clothes, Kagome.."  
  
The response was lips smacking and chewing, then a grunt of approval. "Yeah." Kagome kept on picking at what looked like beef that had gone untouched during the entire dinner.  
  
All eyes now turned to her, watching her eat. All reactions were different. Sesshoumaru turned back to his food, Inuyasha's father coughed and pretended he had something caught in his throat, and his mother delicately abandoned her eating utensils to reach for a napkin. Inuyasha however, had the nerve to stare, and have a disgusted look on his face.  
  
Kagome wrinkled her nose at him again, and spoke politely and appreciatively to his father.  
  
"Mmm. I wonder why no one has eaten this yet! It's very good." She smiled. "What is it?"  
  
His father looked at her after putting his water glass down, and coughed again. He looked to his family for relief, and finding none, spoke reluctantly and very softly.  
  
"Testicles of a cow."  
  
Silence.  
  
Kagome continued to grin for a while, but then finally grasped what he had said. Her smile faded into a look of pure repulsion and repugnance.  
  
Then she spit out her half-chewed food combined with saliva into the man's face.  
  
Once again silence.  
  
......  
  
Then commotion.  
  
---------  
  
"You whore!" Inuyasha roared, dragging Kagome by her collar outside. They had finally escaped the chaotic clamor inside the house.  
  
She could do nothing but stare at the house that was disappearing blankly, still absorbing what had just happened.  
  
"You just make everything so much fucking worse!" He bellowed, finally stopping right before the gates, and shoved her against them. A figure of fury and rage.  
  
Kagome finally found the voice to speak, but it was husky and trembling. A flicker of a thought passed through her mind. 'Maybe I shouldn't have brought the bag...?'  
  
"I ju-just..well, how the hell was I supposed to know that was a cow's penis?!" She yelled suddenly, her spit flecking his face. She suddenly felt regret for doing that...and very, very terrified.  
  
He simply continued to glare a very menacing glare. "Yeah." He said calmly. Too calmly. "The hell you don't." He looked to the side and gripped her shoulder painfully.  
  
"And I hope that you won't know that you have to cross the street when the light is green and get run over by a bloody truck! How stupid can you be??!"  
  
He was very strong. She could feel his strain in trying to hold back while thrusting her outside the gates and stupidly stumbled backwards to the ground. She quivered under his intense scrutiny.  
  
"I'm sorry.." Kagome lowered her head and fiddled with the fabric of her shirt. She could hear his harsh breathing, reading to spout some more flames, but it was suddenly substituted by a scoff.  
  
"Bull."  
  
He turned, and returned to his well-lighted mansion, leaving Kagome in the dark.  
  
Alone.  
  
-------- (This would have been a great place to end, but I promised longness. )  
  
It was so ironic when things just couldn't seem to get any worse, but they did. She could almost hear God laughing, enjoying ridiculing her.  
  
Actually, for most of the night, she was doing the mockery to herself.  
  
Whimpering, she walked carefully through the dimly lit streets, only wanting to go home and lie in bed. But only Sundays like this could be so jolly.  
  
"Why were you with Inuyasha, bitch?" A voice very much like acid cut through the air from behind her. Kagome whirled around quickly to see her twin.  
  
"My name is Kagome." Kagome said, gritting her teeth.  
  
"Oh, hi! My name's Kikyo." Her look-a-like said sarcastically, but then spoke icily. "I asked a question, hag, and I don't like to repeat myself."  
  
She was tired, and angry, and very much aggravated. Her next actions were completely spontaneous and not clearly thought out.  
  
"I had dinner with him you little wench, and I don't appreciate being called names especially when they fit you more." Kagome suddenly felt very foolish looking at them more closely. So stylish, and rich it seemed. And here she was, wearing the most eye-cracking outfit in history that was further marred from food and mud.  
  
"I don't have time for games, little girl, get out of my way." She shoved them with her orange hand bag, and Kikyo unexpectedly wobbled.  
  
Regaining her balance, she spoke cooly. "You did not just push me, and you did not just call me a little girl."  
  
"Uhm...let me think." Kagome paused dramatically. "....Yes I did, little girl."  
  
She suddenly felt pain in her cheek, then her stomach, and felt her hair being yanked at from all directions. They kicked her which felt as powerful as an ostrich's kick at the moment, and she crumpled to the ground. Kikyo spat at her, picked up her bag and shuffled through it, finally finding what she wanted.  
  
"Thanks, old hag." Another kick, and Kagome cried out, once again left alone.  
  
It was a dark. She saw the pale shine of the light relfect on a meat cleaver by the trash cans in front of her.  
  
Blood.  
  
-A few hours later-  
  
Kagome's mother was stumbling around, while other people around her did the same. They called out her name, searching for her.  
  
She had not come home, and it was nearly midnight.  
  
Her mother saw a hunched but colourful figure by the dim flicker of a street lamp, and went to that person to question them about her daughter. She was worried more for the status of her daughter than the fact she was about to ask a very nasty and suspicious looking stranger, and nearly tripped in hurrying.  
  
"Excuse me?" She said, and then gasped as she saw who turned to her.

* * *

I'll give you just one guess to figure out who that is. lol  
  
Ooh. This chapter was dark. And it still feels short. TT  
  
And it's officially midnight. Two hours past bedtime! -scuttles to bed with overstuffed pillow- :3 G'mornight everyone! 


	6. Grudges

Sorry about lateness. I've been feeling pretty dull and lousy, or lazy...whatever the word is and chapter six was unusually hard to get out because I didn't want to go too fast. But yeah. Plus, I hadn't the time to go on the computer for the past two, or three days..that also slowed me down.  
  
Oh yeah, and my mother. She's dumping me more homework than needed.  
  
And this is short. so bleh. lots of scene changes...sorry. it's because Inuyasha and Kagome are never together.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

* * *

Anything But This  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Grudges

* * *

Kagome's mother gasped.  
  
Kagome was in front of her, her face mangled with a bloody tissue up her nose. In her hands was a meat cleaver, being sharpened by the metal post of the streetlamp.  
  
"Eh...?" Kagome said, squinting.  
  
A few moments later she was squinting even harder, rubbing a growing bruise on her head.  
  
"Higurashi Kagome! You had me worried for hours! Your brother hasn't gone to bed because he couldn't sleep when the cat was sleeping and the cat couldn't sleep without you sleeping! Grandpa woke all his friends to search for you! And personally--," Her mother stopped to take a breath, and finally was able to comprehend why her daughter was so colourful.  
  
"What are you wearing??"  
  
Kagome blinked.  
  
------  
  
It was safe to say he had forgotten her.  
  
Or was trying to anyway.  
  
That blasted Kikyou and his tutor looked too alike. Especially when both of their images kept on flickering back and forth in his head. Whenever you tried not to think of something, you ended up thinking about it anyway. Because you were thinking about it by trying not to, so thus you have to think about something else to quit thinking about that.  
  
That was alot to think about. And quite a mouthful.  
  
The flickering lights in the dark Kareoke room made him dizzy, even more so because of those numerous alcohol glasses littering the table before him and Kikyou's ridiculously, loud and drunken singing. Beside him was his friend, shaking the tamborine out of beat. It was enough to make him just nauseous.  
  
He heard several crashes in front of him. Looking up, he could see Kikyou climbing up on the table, clearing the glasses for herself and dancing for him. The microphone was on the floor, neglected. His head was spinning, but he still had enough instinct to leave the area, immediately. Staggering up from the cushioned seats, he finally found the doorknob and a few minutes later, the sink at the bathroom.  
  
Vomiting, he splashed his face with water to try to get a grip on consciousness. Running his wet hands through his hair, he stumbled around a while, dearly needing to do his business. Except there was no little fountain he was accustomed to. A few seconds later, it struck him. He realized where he was.  
  
"Smells nicer.."  
  
...  
  
He was far from sober.  
  
Only a few meters away was three suspicious looking figures, peering through the stained glass of the Kareoke room Inuyasha had just left. It was hard to see, being it dark inside and the obstacle blocking them was far from see-through.  
  
One boy scowled, hearing his previous girlfriend sing in there. It was unmistakably her. Not that she had a good voice or anything...but it was just...loud. He grimly pulled out a cellphone, and punched a number known all too well. The voice on the other end was a woman.  
  
"119 Police Department, how may I help you?"  
  
--------  
  
Ten o'clock.  
  
The large clock in the corner gave a dull ringing sound, the ones that went off each hour. Kagome sighed, it was now the end of the lesson. She looked outside to the darkness wearily, too little hope flickering in her mind to even be vexed by his daily absence.  
  
It wasn't news anyway.  
  
Gathering her books, her pencils, she stretched widely as she rose. Hitching her pack, she went to the door, giving another glance out the window in which he always jumped out of to leave.  
  
Three times a week, she came at six thirty. And Inuyasha was never there. She couldn't blame him for being angry at though, but such a grudge... It had been a mistake, and his parents understood that and let her in. She always had to come, couldn't allow Inuyasha to get in trouble for seemingly not being there... She owed it to him anyway.  
  
Well, not really.  
  
He was just a cocky, contemptuous big baby who got sulky for the smallest of things.  
  
And she'd do the whooping if she ever was in that situation. She wouldn't start griping, she'd get physical.  
  
Salutating (or whatever you call it. lol..) those she passed as she walked out the massive doors, she inhaled a deep breath of cold, nippy air. It was the kind of weather you could feel at the very back of your throat and behind your teeth. It was the kind of weather that froze water at night.  
  
Inuyasha should have been home, it was getting chilly.  
  
But why was she worrying??  
  
Tucking her coat closer to her neck and trying to conceal her face, she trudged home grimly.  
  
Exams were coming up. For her and him.  
  
-------  
  
"Sir, officer! Nice day!" Kikyou nearly lost her balance, careening here and there even in the police officer's firm grip. "Are you taking me home? Thank you sir!" She saluted him, hiccuping. Inuyasha's friends were already in the car.  
  
Crackling voices were heard by a particular furry eared person, confused and still reeling outside, wondering where everyone had gone. He blinked and squinted at the glaring lights of the police car.  
  
Even at his half-conscious state, and mostly because his stomach was still being stubborn on doing aerobics, he knew he should stay put and wait until everyone was gone.  
  
Soon, however, he drifted off. It was a good thing he wasn't that tired to start snoring, because the three people that had called the police were discussing things in low, fast voices. They would have heard him.  
  
But they didn't.  
  
-------  
  
Kagome flipped through her notebook, then punched buttons on her planner to check her schedule. It was one day before Saturday, when she had planned to meet Hojo, and she had to make sure she had no conflicts interfering with it. She would meet him at the orphanage, there was a new child that had just been placed there and Hojo had suggested going there to welcome the guy.  
  
He had the most vaguest of ways of showing his affection.  
  
An orphanage and plenty of children to cause mass destruction. A cataclysmic apocalypse.  
  
"Joy..." She sighed.  
  
But it didn't matter. He could be sweet, she could tell, despite his cool and yet snappy exterior. But it was hard to get it out of him, obviously. Besides, sometimes it didn't matter to people that only saw his looks.  
  
Wait.  
  
She had just described Inuyasha...  
  
Inuyasha?? Oh god she was late for her lesson!  
  
What lesson? He was never there...  
  
"Ugh..." She crumpled up a piece of paper, pretended the wall was Inuyasha and threw the paper ball. It's light weight made it flutter around in a vague direction, then tap the wall slightly before falling to the ground.  
  
"Better go.." She said aloud.  
  
-------  
  
He knew he should have gone to check on Kikyou at the police office, but he'd probably be questioned. He had many doubts whether they kept quiet and didn't tattle on him. That he had been there with them too. He had simply been lucky that he wasn't there.  
  
Or maybe not. He had run home because the streets were being monitered after midnight, and anyone still outside was caught and kept out longer than they ever planned to be. He later had to deal with a very upset stomach and stay awake all night because he was afraid his parents would come in at night and see the dirty bathroom, and overturned tables.  
  
They didn't. But better safe then sorry.   
  
Having a strength and a capability far more extraordinary than any other ordinary human, he had been able to recover quickly after all the symptoms. Besides, he needed some place to go.  
  
Or rather, just something to do to avoid bumping into Higurashi Kagome. A tinge of guilt nagged at his mind. He flicked it away.  
  
He had a funny feeling he was being spied on at times however. Even now, at a game of pool, and at some point while he had been with Kikyou. He felt it now.  
  
Whirling around, maybe he had had too much of a frightening expression, because the man that had been behind him had turned very pale. In his hands was a tray with clinking glasses.  
  
"The drink your ordered, sir?" He said in a nasal voice, saying things cleary but saying them in a rythym so it seemed he was stammering. Probably a pronounciation picked up from a foreign country.  
  
"And the cigarettes are, --ah, thank you sir." Inuyasha dumped a few bills, mostly payment, generous tip. He mildly popped the rolled up drug into his mouth as it had been as innocent as a candy lollipop, and returned to his game.  
  
Maybe he was just overreacting.  
  
That thought was immediately cleared from his mind as he heard a crash from behind him. The door opened to reveal a scruffy high school student.  
  
"Who's Inuyasha??! Who's the bastard that framed my girlfriend??"  
  
Inuyasha sighed. He knew that voice. He knew the stupid accusations he often made, and how retarded they were. Because he was simply acting for a public audience. Clap clap?  
  
"You don't have a girlfriend, so you obviously have things mixed up." He turned around, balancing the cigarette between his fingers and taking a sip of his drink. The boy boldly stomped up to him, ready to say more, but he cut in.  
  
"Because you see, what's right is that you're the asshole who barges into pleasant game. Now you can either get the hell out, or even better, stay away like I told you to." He mockingly reached out to pat the boy on the head, and returned to his game.  
  
He could just imagine the steam coming out of his ears right now. Funny really.  
  
The next few moments was simply sound and touch. A scream, wood splintering and then some irritating pain in his shoulder.  
  
"Son of a bitch." Inuyasha said calmly, and yanked the broken off chair leg that had hit him, batting this new obstacle out of his way. Literally. Suddenly his friends rushed to him and all pain was directed at him for a few seconds.  
  
He easily had them at a broken chain surrounding him soon enough, but he had forgotten the most important person of all.  
  
"Bastard!" There was the glittering of a knife. The metal, the blade.  
  
He blocked a thrust of the sharp weapon effortlessly, kept on defending himself, but he had to attack him eventually. This had to stop. The police were probably on their way already.  
  
He shoved the younger boy at the side of a table, ignoring the screams that rang through his ears. With the broken chair leg, he lifted his arm...  
  
Pain.  
  
"Oh shit."  
  
The knife.  
  
Blood.

* * *

12:34am. whoopee. now I can fall asleep in school tomorrow. :D 


	7. A Cry For Help

Life has been hectic. I just can't believe how time has flown by. I'm sorry for not updating...I hope this long chapter will make up for my absence. But I have been busy, and things aren't going too well....  
  
I'm such a melodramatic person. Ignore me.   
  
Disclaimer: Inuyasha owns me. (If I can't own him, heck, he could own me. =D)

* * *

Anything But This  
  
Chapter 7  
  
A Cry for Help

* * *

Flaming, hot, red pain. That licked over his entire chest, and even paralyzed his waist down.  
  
The knife.  
  
Damn his foolishness. It was absurd, ridiculous. How could he have abandoned the thought that the boy was stupid enough to hold his hand out to defend himself? Well he had, and now the knife, despite the handler's clumsiness and lack of thought, had shot through his right stomach like a bullet, and had buried to the hilt. A flap of fabric and skin were both loose, and he could see the strands of his white hair brush against the blood. Absent-mindedly, too shocked and pained at the same time to think clearly, his hand unconsciously strayed down to his stomach, gripping the knife weakly.  
  
Then his gaze rose to the boy, a gaze that was utterly indescribable. Disbelief, surprise, anguish, confusement, agony, aggravation. Absolutely flabbergasted. Each red drop that oozed down his stomach in a stream and dripped to the floor represented the same tainted feelings he was feeling.  
  
And then he focused on one emotion only. Anger. Rage. Fury. A bitter animosity he had brushed aside thinking this boy would simply be a minor annoyance.  
  
He just didn't care. It was more specific to say he had just not thought it over. His arm rose, to give one powerful plunge straight through the head, and his mouth opened to bellow out a cry. Arms from behind him restrained him, thwarted him from removing the challenge. The opponent. The enemy.  
  
And then his head spun, a wild fever pounced upon him quickly, hotter and thicker than flames and suffocated him. A bloodstained hand reached to rest itself on his stomach, but even that small twist of his arm was very painful, and the attempt to cease the bleeding was futile. He could withstand this of course...  
  
But...  
  
It was almost twenty minutes past six, and the sun was already setting.  
  
But what struck his curiousity was the oh so familiar shape of the moon across the horizon. No crescent, no gibbous. Just a round, full moon, sick and pale with grief.  
  
Damn it all.  
  
What if his parents found out? No, that could not happen. He wouldn't let it happen. But they'd know about the new moon subject, or rather, they most likely wouldn't, and would send Higurashi home.  
  
As much as he hated to admitt it, the girl was a necessity for his survival. Both injury and family wise.  
  
He hadn't realized he had been shoved into a van his companions drove around, and didn't even check to see if they had strapped his motorcycle on too. He hadn't even been able to discern that he had passed out, and what he was thinking was between sub-consciousness.  
  
He. Needed. Help.  
  
Oiy, those weren't the particular words in that same order that came out of his mouth everyday. Nor was it even a thought.  
  
Help.  
  
--------  
  
For the past two or three weeks she had simply meandered around his room with an inquisitive mind. If he ever talked to her again she'd have to point out that the pictures hanging about his room were mostly soccer players. She was intrigued, and wondered why Inuyasha seemed to have a high interest in it. Most importantly she ambled about because she had absolutely nothing to do, having to pretend Inuyasha was there. A maid had even come up to bring up a tray of tea and crackers, but she politely refused the crackers and sipped the tea. During that time, she had had to construct a huge plushie into a general humanoid shape, and have it lean against the bathroom door. "Inuyasha is doing his business." She had said softly, with a fake discreetness. She had then put a finger to his lips, to avoid any further conversation or questioning between them.  
  
It was safe to say the plushie wasn't too convincing, as it wasn't made of plush, but more of dirt stuffed into manure sacks. Or potato. She really didn't want to investigate further. Whatever it was it held up surprisingly well, and with her haste and lack of time she could only draw, cut and color a simple one.  
  
Among the trinkets and pictures in her room, she had found something especially interesting. She knew it could have been illegal to just dig through one's things and then take it (because then that would be stealing) but it seemed it didn't much matter to Inuyasha anyway.  
  
When she had first come, she had thought she'd seen many, many younger pictures of him. But it wasn't so. And this particular picture had a little boy, his white hair uncombed and in a wild tangle around his shoulders. The edges were worn by time, and there were no colours but black and white and hues in between. But it was unmistakably Inuyasha. She could clearly imagine the cold, sharp golden eyes even with the drab shades. She guessed the picture had been filtered.  
  
It has been a photograph discarded in the far corner of his expansive closet, she had lingered there because of the exotic perfumes and fragrances drifting from his clothes. Thank the lord she hadn't discovered any inappropriate underwear of any sort. It had been torn up, and she had pieced them together gingerly. Her hand had closed upon shredded paper and crumpled up balls, and thinking they might have been secret notes passed between lovers (or something), her sneaky self had withdrawn them to see the picture.  
  
There still was the ears, she had gotten used to seeing them so much but still questioned herself incessantly, and as she fingered the surface of the paper, she noticed a detail she hadn't noticed before. Clutching the picture tenderly in her hand, she crawled to the oh so familiar window and leaned against the wall below it for a more comfortable spot.  
  
Like all photographs, there was a waxy thin sheet to protect the picture, but she was able to see a curling edge. She peeled it off of one strip, taking all the small shreds into her hands and pulling the sheet from it.  
  
Same picture, and not at the same time.  
  
It was an exquisite painting.  
  
And in it. Something she couldn't see before.  
  
Behind Inuyasha...  
  
She screamed.  
  
--------  
  
She screamed.  
  
Something had just grabbed her left shoulder. Wet, warm. She turned her head hesitantly, fearfully. Blood!  
  
She screamed, and the hand covered her mouth. It was a strong hand, and she bit into it as hard as she could. The person attached to the hand cursed. She now knew who it was.  
  
"Inuyasha!" Kagome gasped, now breathless, her stomach clenching. She was suffocating.  
  
"Oiy, shut up bitch! You'll wake my parents--..." She saw him shudder and groan, saw the blood streaming down the wall and seeping from his fingers. Despite being terribly revolted, she reflexively went to grab his shoulders and hug him.  
  
"Inuyasha, how, what, where were you??" She sputtered incoherently, crying into his hair. Inuyasha felt her warm embrace, and sank into it absent-mindedly for a few seconds, before realising in what position they were in. He slapped her away.  
  
"Can't you see I need to get inside you stupid girl?!" He gritted his teeth, speaking in a harsh whisper.  
  
"Oh!" Kagome gasped, seemingly noticing what was happened for the first time that night. She clutched his arms, and half-pulled, half-dragged his heavy body over the window. Wasn't she a strong girl... Inuyasha cried out, and so did Kagome, as she fell to the ground with him on top of her. They both groaned, Inuyasha nearly falling unconscious and Kagome closing her eyes in exhaustion. A few seconds passed and she opened her eyes, pulling her arms out from under his considerably weighty body. She could feel his stomach muscles twist, see his face spasm in pain. Seeing her bloody hands, she started panicking. "Blood! Blood!"  
  
Shoving Inuyasha unceremoniously off her, she became frantic, staring at her hands fearfully. "Blood!"  
  
And fainted.  
  
Inuyasha woke a few minutes later, feeling hair tickling his nose. The foolish wench just had to make a big deal out of it all. The black hair that fell around his shoulders seemed foreign, and he could feel a pain he could normally shrug off very badly. Crawling over to Kagome, he shook her awake, grunting and clutching his stomach.  
  
"Hey, girl.." She stirred slightly, and he shook her more fiercely, desperately. "Higurashi!" She woke then, jumping up and making a show again. After realizing where she was, she began to overturn tables and books, screaming about murder. "Higurashi!!" He said angrily, glaring at her dangerously. He could feel himself weakening from lack of blood. He hated this puny body...  
  
She stopped running about, looking at him with fear. Suddenly she grabbed a book and whacked his head repeatedly with it. "WHO? ARE? YOU? AND? HOW? DO? YOU? KNOW? MY? NAME??" Each word was followed with a blow of the hard textbook. She could swear it had been Inuyasha who had been bleeding, and who she had pulled in. But this person had very, very black hair, and she could see no distinctive twitching ears.  
  
"Oiy, bitch, that hurt!" He whipped out a hand, grabbed her ankle and made her fall to the floor. "It's me!! Are you blind?" She blinked stupidly at him, hair in a messy tangle. His blood was all over her hands, and some had smudged her nose. He couldn't help but thinking how cute that pose seemed.  
  
"Inuyasha...?" A hand, a beautiful red hand, each finger curling seperately came towards his hair. Then his face. He felt nervous, even her face was inching towards him. They blinked. ........ "Did you dye your hair?"  
  
Dear lord she was slow. Could she not see his wound? "NO! I mean..YES! Now just, help me, please..." For the second time that night Kagome was terribly late in realizing the gravity of the situation and within ten minutes she had discovered the first aid box Inuyasha kept without screaming about blood.  
  
--------  
  
Kagome tenderly unfurled the long bandage cloth, and began to wind it around his chest and stomach. She had already done the best she could with the cut, carefully stitching it together. Inuyasha bit down his cries of pain and disgust. Seeing a needle enter and sew through your skin wasn't the best experience. He wondered how Kagome could take it, when she had nearly died at the sight of blood. But she still did it, cooly and with care. But inside he could tell she was trembling. At one point he had taken her hand and directed her, he had to show her how to do it. The girl was no doctor.  
  
He flinched, cursing. "Can't you be a little careful??" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, sweating from the tension. With his remark, she purposely bound the bandage a little tighter, ignoring his cry. "Can't you be a little less rude?"  
  
Working around his body, she admired the soft, pale tan of his skin, the muscles and flawless flesh. Inuyasha, however, thought this process was taking too long, and snapped from impatience. "What's taking you so long??" Kagome could understand his irritation, but retorted sharply. "I was just wondering how you could be such an ugly fat ass." Definitely false, and not too cutting, but it proved successful when it came to shutting him up.  
  
When she was done, she marveled and was proud at her stiches, whereas Inuyasha jerkily tried to pull on a shirt. "You could do better you know..." He grumbled, prodding them as he grabbed for some clean clothing.  
  
"Well, I was taught be you..." He eye twitched, and then she sighed seeing him fumble like a small toddler with his shirt. "Here, let me help..." He brushed her away.  
  
"I can do this by myself. I'm no baby like you." Kagome scoffed, wrinkling her nose. She crossed her arms and sat on the couch. A few minutes later, Inuyasha came up to her precariously, trying to keep his dignity even while asking for more help and having his arm through the waist area, and his head very crookedly trying to peep out of an arm hole.  
  
"Uhm.." He stammered mildly, but Kagome took pity on him and slipped his shirt on, head through neck hole and all. Having pulled down his clothing while he was sitting down, she found herself in his lap, looking up at his eyes.  
  
Their heads were centimeters away from colliding with eachother.  
  
A violet haze washed over her as Inuyasha seemed to come closer.  
  
Violet...?

* * *

I am sooooooo messed up. xx Bad chapter! 


	8. I'm Sorry

I know I had that last part pretty rushed.  
  
And I know I take long to update.  
  
I'm really sorry about that. But things look pretty bleak. A new chapter every week or so. Particularly Sunday, because I have school on Saturday too. Every other day except Sunday has me running around until 11 pm or studying until that time.  
  
So I apologize...but...yeah. Thanks.

* * *

Anything But This  
  
Chapter 8  
  
I'm Sorry

* * *

-Kagome-  
  
Violet...?  
  
Not the brilliant golden eyes she remembered, but a much duller and darker shade. She went to look at his hair. That wasn't the same either, silver cascades had dripped into an infinite black. She heard a gasp, and was surprised that it had come from herself. She was too preoccupied in grasping this, a hundred thoughts barreling through her head. She wished each of them were false.  
  
Her grip on the hem of his shirt got weaker. Why couldn't have she seen the signs? Remarkable fighting abilities, supernatural jumping power, not to mention two very real ears.  
  
They were gone too.  
  
It all began to make sense, and yet at the same time...not at all. She couldn't believe that he was actually...that. She may as well believe everything now, down to what Miroku Houshi claimed--that he was a respectable monk. Snort. Like that would ever happen. It brought a disturbing mental image.  
  
She denied the urge to look across the room, to the blood-stained carpet, beneath the window. Something that had left her mind before.  
  
The painting...  
  
-----------  
  
-Inuyasha-  
  
For a second he was sort of dazed. He blamed his wound for it. But the more he simply sat there, with a more innocent and older version of Kikyou on his lap, he felt a weird sort of queaziness in his stomach. Not the kind that he felt when he felt guilty, but a kind of nervousness that he had had when he was younger... Like peer pressure or something.  
  
He was simply worrying what she thought of him.  
  
And then it struck him, hard. His eyebrows knitted together and he winced from the invisible strike.  
  
She had seen his eyes.  
  
And no contact lenses could do what weird powers could do to his eyes. He couldn't even bear to close them, he was afraid she'd leave. Without a chance to tell her what was going on.  
  
Indeed she was. He could feel her tight fists loosening, her confused face now grim. So he did the first thing that crossed his booger-sized brain.  
  
He grabbed her. Grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close to him.  
  
He had definitely skipped ahead of himself this time...  
  
"Uh...I can explain." Then she hit him. He fell to the floor with her, but she hastily scrambled away from his touch. A hand rose to his cheek, a bruise swelling up. That had been no slap, like any other girl would do, but that had been a punch. A sharp-knuckled, good punch right through his head. Surprisingly enough, the slash on his stomach was numbed. The shock was more evident than the pain right now.  
  
She was huffing angrily, and her chocolate eyes were flaring with a rage and fury she was holding back elsewhere. ... Like her mouth for instance. He would have expected shouting and yelling by now, or her screaming while she was fleeing from him.  
  
"I...," He stammered. "I can--," He was cut off from repeating his previous words, her own voice biting through the air like acid.  
  
"I know." She hissed. His reaction was only to widen his eyes at her narrowing ones. Violet to her cocoa.  
  
She suddenly whirled around, marching to the window in which he had come through earlier that night, and for a moment he was struck with the fear she'd leave. But that girl never failed to surprise him sometimes. He admired the fact she did not break into a run, or hurt him again, but all she did was pick up a shreds of paper, and throw them at him. They fluttered aimlessly, not even close to their destination. But it didn't matter, she picked up another handful, advanced menacingly, and proceeded to shove them into his face.  
  
And now he knew what that was. The only thing besides his carefully hidden ears (until he was angry), would tell her what he really was. He watched the pieces wave around him casually. At least they were too crumpled up to make out now. He tried in vain to swallow the apple-sized lump in his throat.  
  
Finally she stopped, seemingly realizing she had nothing to hurl at him anymore that would hurt him enough. He watched her scoff, not breaking into tear-mode, but could see her trembling. Although it still may have been anger.  
  
"Another demon, huh?" Her sarcasm was more painful to hear. They held no trickle of humor at all. Her next words were hushed into a nearly inaudible whisper. "And to think I felt sorry to you..." She closed her eyes, and he could not even start to imagine the thoughts that were running through her mind. Suddenly she opened them, her tone rising. "To a thing that could have killed me." She laughed lightly. Still no real amusement. "You certainly have your role fixed very well. A rebellious student who flings only profanity from his mouth and needs assistance from a tutor. What were you planning to do? Hurt me like you hurt those men?" Her voice quivered. "Plunge a knife through me like what happened to you?"  
  
He was in no place to talk to her at this moment. Persuade her or even move. He simply continued to watch her break.  
  
"Oh, I'm fine with the demon bit." Her gaze wavered to look at him for only a fraction of a second. Very quick, but he knew he hadn't imagined it. "I just had...high hopes for you. Pull you out of that world of violence you're stuck in. But it turns out you're way more than I can handle. I also trusted you...to come back. So I waited." He could see the torment that was she was going through in having to express herself through her anger. "I knew you could be sweet. I knew that I could try to make you better. Maybe that was why I was drawn to you, even though I couldn't stand you. I just...thought I had a chance to change you. But I jumped ahead of myself..."  
  
Her gaze was brought to him, and he felt himself squirm under her look. It was a look he had never seen before from her, and would have guessed that she never had to look at anyone like that. She seemed desperate..for relief.  
  
But he couldn't give that to her.  
  
Because her words were the most bluntest truth he had ever heard.  
  
---------  
  
-Kagome-  
  
She searched him for any sign. She waited for a cry to tell her that she was wrong, that he would explain. But she had cornered him into a tight spot, and he was content in staying there to simply watch her.  
  
Her words had held no lie in them. And she herself was surprised she could control herself so much to speak her mind so subtely. In all fact, she felt betrayed. Despite his stinging words, his disobedience, he had turned out to be even worse. So she couldn't help him. And she blamed him for that. For pulling her into it too.  
  
She couldn't even explain why she felt such an intensity in her anger. She knew she had never been tolerant, but this time her anger was there to hurt him. To hurt. She had stooped to his level. And she blamed it all on him.  
  
She could not feel herself rising to her feet, her body was numb. She was unconscious of the fact she was gathering her books and things. She could not think of why she was so casual or worry about the blood on her clothes. All she simply did, was slip on her coat, walk to the door and open it. She waited for him to say something. But nothing came. No longer hesitating, she closed the door behind her quietly.  
  
She had only wanted to make him better. Like the myth of the half-demon and the miko with the legendary jewel: the Shikon no Tama.  
  
It was ironic how much their story matched theirs. Except that story was a fairytale.  
  
And this was real.  
  
She began to realize this after she arrived home, after she smiled good night to her mother and went up to her bedroom. After slowly dressing, after lifting the covers to her neck.  
  
This was real.  
  
She closed her eyes.  
  
And nothing could erase the words she had said to him. Nothing.  
  
-------  
  
-Inuyasha-  
  
It was safe to say he was only sub-conscious while seeing her gather herself. He was simply replaying each and everyone of her words, and recording her voice to his memory. Absorbing all the meaning of her large confession, his mind in an emotional maelstrom of the feelings he had always feared but felt...occasionally.  
  
However, his exterior betrayed none of that, and simply continued to be in his laid back position, one arm propping himself up, the other holding himself up by his elbow, legs bent but sprawled. He followed her figure with his eyes, saw her open the door. He made no objection to that, he was as paralyzed as a dead person could be. Only the muscles in his eyes functioned.  
  
He waited for her to look back at him. Allow him to be free of this suffocating tension.  
  
The door shut. Not only was she gone from his view, but he knew that that last action had meant that she no longer had any doubts about him. No second glance to tell him she would forgive him.  
  
And that hurt.  
  
Once again his physical body did nothing to express what he was feeling, for he walked with the same numbness in which she had walked. He threw a pile of clothes to the bloodied carpet, wanting to deal with it later. He got into his bed after washing, and could vaguely smell the fragrances of her.  
  
It was a sweet flowery smell, with the wild tang of strawberries maybe. He remembered the other times she had smelled of vanilla. So soft smelling.  
  
He was sorry.  
  
Those were the hardest words he had ever learned to say.

* * *

Too short. I'm sorry. =/ 


	9. Emptiness

Oh yay! It's that time of week again! Where I post another bad short chapter and...well..yeah.  
  
For the particular person that was interested to know what was in the painting, I find it kind of tough to include it in this chapter...so like the Chapter 4 scene I drew go here to see: ), I'll also draw the painting to the best of my ability. That way, no one has to listen and stop for a while to draw a mental image in their head on what I'm talking about. Is that okay? But I still include it in the story nevertheless...at least, I think I will...  
  
And on the above picture, yes I KNOW Inuyasha's head and body is swollen. Yes, I KNOW the table looks pregnant. Yes, I KNOW Kagome is way too skinny and she's not properly proportioned. Yes, I KNOW my attempts at drawing a chicken and textbook are terrible. Yes, I KNOW Inuyasha's eyes are too big and his hair all weird. Yes, I KNOW I probably wrote the wrong katakana on the textbook. Yes, I KNOW what I wrote in Korean has nothing to do with what Inuyasha's learning. Yes, I KNOW it's blurry, it's because I couldn't scan it so took a picture of it instead...and all that stuff. snoozeburgle.  
  
Disclaimer: Iono about owning Inuyasha...but my Necoyasha is mine. 33 oh yes, no direct credit goes to me for this fanfiction. because it is a FANFICTION!  
  
This chapter was also difficult to write...my finals are in July 9 to 13 and I've been robbed of ideas.  
  
Or rather, (because then I'd be suing someone) my imagination ran away...and my excuse for my incoherence is that my brain left to find it.  
  
Okay, on with the story, because I bet I just told you my life story by now.  
  
Jah!

* * *

Anything But This  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Emptiness

* * *

-Inuyasha-  
  
The next morning had a cool and peaceful air. Where they had been blood, everything looked bright and clean. Windows were open everywhere, and morning light came through, highlighting flurries of an autumn dust. Thin curtains lifted every now and then on the soft breeze. The place looked innocent. His bedroom door was open, a rarity. The bed was made, the room was immaculate. The sun was streaming in through the windows.  
  
He stood in the middle of a large sunny room. The house reverbrated with silence. Everyone was gone for the morning. It was something he could instantly understand. Nothing. He waited. The house creaked. He could smell the oldness of the wood. As he looked out of his bedroom door, he could see the bottom floor shining from heaven's embrace. The emptiness in the house, and the emptiness within himself resonated each with the other, and the two voids harmonized.  
  
He stood there a long time.  
  
Nothing.---------Kagome-  
  
Each morning, the light would spread a gentle feathery touch on her bed, rousing her from her sleep. That was, before Souta came in with Buyo nearly crawling after him and bumbling about in haste. He would always run in, jump and leap straight onto her bed. He never managed to miss her body. He was getting bigger and bigger, and once she could swear he had fractured her arm. There was a chase, which involved Kagome giving Souta a noogie. Then it was confirmed. Her arm was in fact, _not_ fractured. Surprise, surprise.  
  
But this morning was quiet, a dull Saturday morning where everyone was asleep past 11 o'clock, and by the time someone woke, they would simply stumble about to the kitchen, get a snack and return to the couch, very ready to spend six hours wasting him or herself in front of the television set. Yup, that was Saturday.  
  
Today was no different.  
  
She was definitely awake, her hair tousled above her pillow and her blanket a wildly proportioned twisted cloth, winding around one arm where she had hooked it below her armpit. Yawning, she stretched, and was content in staying in her bed although she was not sleeping, finding a peacefulness in just hearing the birds twitter and looking up at the bright white ceiling. She stared at every object in her room, her toes, her closet, the bedroom door, her desk, the chair, the computer, the night stand, the lamp... Her eyes lingered on one object the longest, the clothes she had neglected in a big bundle underneath another pile of clothes. The ones stained with Inuyasha's blood. Another heap were the washed, outrageous looking clothes complete with the orange flower-shaped purse that had not been folded up and put away yet.  
  
Closing her eyes, half between wanting to fall asleep but get up and do something, she realized why she felt so restless.  
  
Hojo!  
  
It was...what? 11:17?  
  
Scrambling from her bed, she pounced into the bathroom to get ready.... after tripping on the blanket sheets bound about her body like a loose bandage.  
  
A few minutes later she was racing out of the bathroom back to her room, ignoring the fact there were still a few water droplets dripping down her hands and flecking her face. Running her hands through her hair, she pulled on the neat, tidy stack of clothes she had arranged just for today. It was peculiar how she hadn't noticed them until now.  
  
Through the thumping and jumping from Kagome's upper floor, a few inhabitants of the shrine stirred from their rest. And they weren't what you'd call, exactly a 'happy bunny'.  
  
"Kagome!!" Kagome's mother called out, walking out her door with careful steps, still suffering headrush. Kagome however, could only utter one word as she raced about the kitchen from her room, to outside, with one sock on her foot to retrieve what she had forgotten.  
  
"Late! Late!"  
  
Well, she wasn't late, but she always went to wherever she had to go, that would include Hojo, at least twenty minutes earlier so she could get acquainted with the area again. Not only that, but she wanted to appear ready. Things that affection, and in this case, obsession could do to your coherent brain, eh?  
  
"Late, late!!" As Kagome was taking her last trip inside to snatch her coat, her mother stopped her in mid-step with a slap to the cheek. She froze instantly.  
  
"Shush, Kagome! Some people are sleeping, and you know what Grandpa would do if he knew you were going out to meet a boy!" She scolded silently through thin lips, and then extended her hands to flatten out the small curls in her hair that reached out to the sky. Kagome simply bounced about, impatiently.  
  
As soon as she was released from her mother's day to day requirement checks, she half ran, half hobbled to catch a taxi to the orphanage. She realized then she had chosen the wrong shoes for this sprinting marathon.  
  
When the taxi arrived at her destination, she literally hopped out of the taxi because of her shoes, and was pulled back by the driver who demanded his money. In vain she digged through her purse for her wallet, and realized it was in her coat.  
  
Reaching the orphanage, she slowed her pace, trying to catch her breath. Wiping her damp brow with the back of her hand, she began to walk slowly and instantly, a group of children recognized the pretty and decent-looking girl. "It's Kagome! Hi Kagome!" They shouted to her, and waved simultaneously. She smiled, and waved back. She wasn't having so much regrets about coming here this time. As she neared, they grinned mischeivously, and suddenly morphed from a infantile game of jacks to a thunderous stampede of rhinos.  
  
"Get her!!" They cried out, pouncing on her all at once.  
  
Three minutes later, she was panting again and wrestling with a little boy, laughing with cherry red cheeks. "Get off me, or I'm not giving out any candy!" She threatened mildly, but the children immediately climbed off her and sat before her on their knees with wistful eyes. Looking away, she shielded her eyes and grimaced. "Oh dear, how could I give candy to such dirty little boys and girls? Oh woe is me..." She raised a hand to her forehead for effect.  
  
Eyes growing wide, they all shouted in unison. One boy's voice was intelligible through the blubbering. "Last one there is a rotten...white oval thing!" Each and every child raced to either grab a hose attached to the large building, and some escaped to the nearest form of shelter. Soon the air was bubbling with a children's laughter and each of them were completely soaking wet. The unabashed young ones were stripped of their clothes, running around stark naked for anyone near to see.  
  
Kagome glanced at her watch, and then out to the road bordering the land. Hojo should be here any minute now...---------Inuyasha-  
  
If there was one thing he hadn't forgotten, it was Kagome. And he found himself itching to meet her again. He just needed once chance to tell her the _thing_ with white hair plus very _visible _claws and ears in the picture was not him at all, but his father. Striking family resemblance, really. His real father. The demon who had destroyed another monster called Onigumo, and there were rumors that the freakish creature was still alive. He doubted it. If even his pa had died from the other's attacks, how possible was it for that crippled being to go on living?  
  
Even his mother had died. He now had a vain and far too soft model for his mother, and a fat lawyer who used to be a martial arts teacher for a dad, but he wasn't so bad. His influence had made him into a skilled fighter that he was now, not the 'rip, shred and kill' half-demon he had once been.  
  
That was it though. Just half-demon.  
  
And he needed to explain that to her.  
  
But where was she?  
  
Memories barreled through his mind, and his fingers fiddled with the already fading stiches on his stomach in thought. He had definitely healed fast after the sun had rose, and had tidied up his room so there would be no suspicions of any kind of misdeed he had committed the previous night. And then it struck him.  
  
Hojo.  
  
He recalled the call Kagome had gotten from this boy, how she had promised to meet him next Saturday, a week ago. Today was Saturday. Today was next week. Kagome would go to wherever he was going.  
  
But where would Hojo go?  
  
Another memory came from his mind. Insane children. Hojo working to become a priest. Kagome talking about crazy nuns.  
  
He pieced the few clues he had together. Where would a nun, priest and insane kids be all at once? This would take alot of thinking...  
  
There was a church, but today was Saturday. The next might have been a day care center, but the priest and nun? What about the Children's Grand Park? Still, the matter was about the religious people. What would they have to do there?  
  
A few minutes later... "The orphanage!"  
  
(Try to figure out why he used 'the' instead of 'a' before orphanage. Guess quickly, it's easy, the answer comes soon...)  
  
He dressed quickly, not bothering to make sure he was wearing proper clothes or making an effort to have a messy in a casual way look. More childhood memories rushed up to meet him, and he was surprised at how many he could not fight away. He was surprised at how many there were.  
  
When his mother had breathed her last dying breath, and he had tried to revive her, he had seen and heard the most revolting sight he could have ever seen. When he had made an effort, a vain effort to breathe life into her, his air simply made a sickly wet sound mingled with the sounds of air rushing out of a balloon. A moment later, he had fallen next to Sesshoumaru's detached figure and had vomited.  
  
He had only been six then... Six. Fragile and soft-hearted, a mound of clay still molding. Even Sesshoumaru then was the older brother who got him into trouble. No longer.  
  
The windows on the bus were a bit smudged, but there were few people on this morning. Most just resting at home or having a nice day at the park. As he passed the ancient trees on the way to the orphanage, he inhaled the clean fresh air deeply. Today's weather was the kind of weather that was spent outside, watching the autumn leaves flutter down, gaze at the cloudless slightly gray sky wistfully. He decided to walk the last mile to his destination, getting off the bus.  
  
It was an experience he had never expected to have, never in a billion years. When he had left this place at sixteen, he had already been in seven families. Four in which he had been seperated from his half-brother. And as much as he hated to admitt, he clung to Sesshoumaru like an urchin and did not let go.  
  
"I'll trust you." He had said to his older brother once as they had made their first appearance at the orphanage. "Okay Sess?" His brother had simply lost his meditative look, and suddenly looked distressed. But soon even that faded from the pre-teen's face, and he brushed away a lock of hair from Inuyasha's forehead. It was the only gesture of affection that he had ever got from him.  
  
Now that he was back, he saw that not alot of things had changed. Just more screaming children. He searched for Kagome, and did not go near the orphanage himself. He'd probably be questioned for his presence, and Kagome would be told that he was there. No, he wanted to meet her privately, personally.  
  
Suddenly to his left, he heard a soft 'plonk'. Probably a pebble falling on water. Turning his head, he saw a little boy, probably his age when he had first come, with bright red hair and the most fragile body he had ever seen. He seemed so small, so defenseless, and cryptic even among the dense and tranquil scenery. A small hand grasped another rock, and tossed it into a little pond without a thought.  
  
"Don't." He said without thinking. He found himself approaching the little boy, and kneeling down beside him, grabbing his hand to prevent any more movement. The boy turned to him in surprise, emerald eyes widening. His wrist was so scrawny, Inuyasha thought. In fact, his entire self was scrawny. "Don't throw rocks into the water, it'll get dirty."  
  
The boy solemnly nodded, and soon began to drag a stick around the dirt to draw. Instantly Inuyasha was reminded of himself. "Why aren't you playing with the others?" He asked softly, a gentle tenderness he had never shown but to children that did not get on his nerves. His carrot red hair quivered, and a small voice squeaked.  
  
"I have no friends..."  
  
Inuyasha found the need to commiserate. When he had come to this orphanage for the first time, the first thing that had happened was a boy had come up to him and had started yanking on his ears. "Are you the new kid? What's your name?"  
  
"Shippo." The boy mumbled nearly inaudibly, but then abruptly faced Inuyasha with a quizzical face. "Why are you here? Are you an orphan?"  
  
"Yes." The word flew out before he had a chance to stop himself. But it was true..enough. He had been abandoned by his parents, and now even his tutor. He was such a pathetic guy. "My mum and pa died." The empty void came back. The emptiness in which he was so accustomed to.  
  
Shippo stared at him curiously, and his eyes shadowed at his last string of words.  
  
Seeing this reaction, Inuyasha frantically searched for a way to ease the gloom that was creeping over them both. It also felt awkward to speak of his tragedy to this small boy he had just met. "I'm also a demon." He winked. It would definitely seem like an amusing lie, and would probably have him screaming...once he showed him a few moves.  
  
This time Shippo's eyes became gigantic, and he dropped the stick on the ground silently. But even this shock passed, and he returned to the little drawing of...two small canines it seemed. Particularly a fox. Queer, Inuyasha thought. Before Shippo spoke.  
  
"Me too."

* * *

I have no idea where I'm planning to go with this...  
  
yes, I KNOW it's short. this took me an entire day to write though...that's how blank and stupid I am right now... 


	10. Come and Go

Since I've been exceptionally creul with my lack of updating, I beg your pardon while I try to excuse my petty self.  
  
1. Bad results on finals caused temporary restriction of computer.  
2. A soon to come summer trip (first in quite a while! ) has had me busy.  
3. How can I explain this...uhm. there's this guy... -goes red- .-.  
4. My computer is not behaving...most of the time I get ' or ' search engine sites...which never work.. --;  
5. Let's just say my joy in sitting in front of the computer wasting my existence has been extinguished. o-o entirely. I think....  
  
This is going to be hard...everything is going to be hard...but I'll try to update as frequently as I can....because this is for everyone else more than myself, isn't it?   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. (I've found someone else to stalk, don't worry. ) ;D

* * *

Anything But This  
  
Chapter 10  
  
Come and Go

* * *

A drop of sweat trickled down his temple from heat and his own strain. Usually combat with several men would only have him panting a little, but this kind of labor was new and just...harder than it looked. It was no wonder now why his mother didn't bother and simply ordered maids. There was a sharp twinge in his back and shoulders as he crushed down onto the bundle of clothes in a huge tub of water. It was an odd way to wash the laundry, he'd have to admitt, but only if that damn Shippo hadn't shrieked for all to hear that a 'tall, tall guy called Inuyasha is waiting for his girlfriend', those insane nuns wouldn't have thought that he was extremely suitable to do some chores for the orphanage. They _hadn't_ recognized him.  
  
Squelch. Squish.  
  
It was coming to be a wonderful, fall day. The perfect image of late Autumn. The weather was exceptionally dry and windy, but right now there was only the gentlest of breezes running through his hair. The chill air struck his wet legs but it became a pleasant coolness after a while. He hopped out of the tub and then proceeded to dump out all of the water in it. With strong firm hands, he began to squeeze and wring the soaked shirts, pants and other things he wouldn't name and tossed them into a basket.  
  
He was just starting on another pile of clothes to stomp on when a flame of red hair peeked through the basket's netting before him. A poor place to hide, unless you were pretending to be a huge leaf that had just fallen from a tree. Inuyasha continued with his work, and ignored the flicker of bright orange as it leaped behind him.  
  
He didn't even pretend to be surprised when a small figure popped out from in front of him (however, he had not the slightest clue when the little rascal had gotten there) obviously disappointed from the indifferent expression on his face. There was a silence thereafter.  
  
"You have big toes." A voice remarked.  
  
There was a splash, and suddenly a tiny Shippo was as drenched as a sewer rat. "And you're way too puny." Another voice said flatly.  
  
Shippo took this as a sign to remain quiet, but he was extraordinarily bored at the moment. First he sighed, before suddenly asking. "What's she like?"  
  
"Uhm?" Complete surprised appeared on his face before Inuyasha scowled. "What's it to you?"  
  
"Did you think I was talking about your girlfriend?" He thought he could detect a small mischievous smile on the boy's lips.  
  
He flushed slightly. Maybe Kagome was occupying his mind _too_ much. "Then were you talking about the nuns?" He asked sharply.  
  
There was a pause, before a previous question was repeated. "So what's she like? What's her name?"  
  
"Kagome-- I mean.. Why are you wondering??" He asked icily.  
  
"Since you're my friend and you--"  
  
"When did it occur to you that I'm your friend?"  
  
"Just now." He grinned.  
  
"Well I'm--" Inuyasha faltered after seeing the look on his face. "--not so sure about that..."  
  
An awkward quietness stretched, devouring everything besides the small squelching and occasional creaking of the tree branches. Inuyasha began to feel uneasy. He climbed out of the tub and started to wring the soaked clothes again.  
  
"Is she pretty?"  
  
...  
  
"She is, isn't she?"  
  
...  
  
"She's prettier than you, you doorknob." He finally answered. "No..she's just kind of...radiant. beautiful I guess..."  
  
"You like her, doncha?" Shippo inquired innocently.  
  
Once more Inuyasha was struck dumb. He had forgotten how curious little twerps could be.. "Iono.. why are you so interested all of a sudden??" He demanded.  
  
"I've been asking for the past few minutes...but.... it's because you're my friend." A smile.  
  
Inuyasha put a hand to his face wearily. Boy this kid was really desperate... It was hard to yell at him when he was just so...guileless. "Fine, what about **you**?" There was alot of emphasis on 'you'.  
  
"Well...,"  
  
"Oh, so there is someone..,"  
  
"No, it's not like that!"  
  
"Come on, we all know it...," He smirked. Finally the boomerang was whirling back at the little kid.  
  
"I'm telling you, it's just someone I know! Just a--"  
  
"Right..right..where is she?"  
  
Shippo stared at him as if he were the dumbest thing in the world. "Didn't you hear me? By the way, it's a he." A bright grin suddenly came to his face. Digging into his front breast pocket, he pulled out...something that seemed to be a little fleck of dust. Upon closer inspection, Inuyasha saw it to be a little..flea.  
  
"Cute, ain't he? The little guy can talk too!" Inuyasha could swear he saw the little bug weave the appendages attached to it's body together like one would cross their arms and twist it's _face_ into a scowl.  
  
He rubbed one eye and then blinked.  
  
He had just been imagining it probably... The little bugger had just hopped to the ground like where all icky things should be. Shippo abruptly went down to his knees and began to hunt frantically for the little insect.  
  
"Gross...that's disgusting. Stop that!" He said in exasperation, pulling Shippo to his eye level by the collar of his shirt. "Don't play with bugs, they'll crawl in your ears and eat your brain." Inuyasha denied the urge to smirk as he saw the kid begin to pale.  
  
Grabbing the full basket, he walked to the poles and clothesline in which he was supposed to hang up the clothes to dry. Shippo followed him with the loyalty of a dog.  
  
Inuyasha had just finished wrestling with a large tablecloth (and his own thoughts) when he heard a high-pitched shriek of pure horror. His eyes widened as he immediately assumed it to be...  
  
"Kagome??"  
  
A shocked-looking Shippo stared at him blankly. "What?" He said as Inuyasha started to go red. "Oh," A wide grin stretched out the small face. "No need to worry, I caught the guy before he crawled into my ear." He extended his hand to show Inuyasha a flattened version of the flea he had seen before.  
  
Inuyasha scowled so angrily that even the smile on Shippo's mouth vanished as he scrambled away to avoid his gaze.  
  
Turning back to the clothesline, he frowned.  
  
That girl was on his mind...too much.  
  
He couldn't tell if that was a good thing...

* * *

Kagome beamed as she saw Hojo running toward her. "Kagome! Sorry to have kept you waiting. There's more traffic then you think there'd be on Sundays.."

He gave her a shy, one armed hug and before she could react, he ran to greet the nuns in the same manner as they began to wave at him. They accepted him like he was their grandson, and he accepted them in the same way... But it seemed, he didn't look at her as if she was any more special than anyone else anymore...  
  
She wanted just one moment to be perfectly alone with him. She didn't know what she'd do... but hopefully she'd think of it when the time came, right?  
  
But that opportunity seemed extremely bleak, and she felt a small ache where her heart was supposed to be. Shrugging, she just walked into the orphanage.  
  
Kagome was altogether too preoccupied to see the silver-haired boy struggling with the clothesline that was wound tightly around him.  
  
When she finally did, she only saw something like a cocoon, but thought nothing of it.  
  
This was a chance to be with Hojo, no lumpy people in white sheets would be bothering her today. Nope.  
  
However it didn't occur to her that kids with carroty red hair would. She felt something tumble into her from the direction of where she had seen the cocoon, and turned to see...nothing?  
  
She looked down.  
  
"Sorry..." A little boy said sheepishly, staggering up and looking a tad wobbly. Hojo appeared right then again, giving Kagome a paper cup filled with coffee.  
  
"Here Kagome, my apology." He smiled slightly, while Shippo looked up at the two curiously. Kagome..Kagome.. where had Shippo heard **that** name before?  
  
Hojo noticed the flame of red hair and looked down to an unfamiliar face. "Hey, here's the newbie!" He suddenly squatted to Shippo's level and extended his hand in a friendly handshake. Shippo however, continued to mutter and mumble as he walked away without the faintest idea that he had just left a stranger in the dust.  
  
Kagome shook her head, worried with the rather confused dazedness of the tiny boy and yet slightly amused by Hojo's surprised face. He rose, laughing a little to himself and then turned to Kagome.  
  
"Well..that was kind of odd...guess my charm is wearing off." He wrinkled his nose in false displeasure.  
  
"You? No!" Kagomed laughed, playing along before a nun suddenly approached them both. She looked at them both and then at Hojo, smiling.   
  
"I see you're quite acquainted with this girl, hmm?" The young man flushed. She suddenly fixed a stern look on her face. "I'm sure you haven't forgotten..." The casual happiness on Hojo's face turned partly fake, his smile tight.  
  
"Right." The nun gave him a quick glance before returning to the building. He looked to her, the laughter back but in a more solemn manner. "Kagome, a word with you please?"  
  
Luck! Finally a chance to be alone...even if for a few minutes. Her joy blinded her from seeing the grim expression on his face. He took her hand -- she couldn't help but thinking it felt warm despite the weather -- and gently guided her to where the children's laundry was being dried. Hidden by the flapping white cloth from all sides, she looked at him with a smile.  
  
She was scared to see that he didn't look...what you'd call... happy.  
  
"What?" She tried to ask casually, but she herself heard panic in her voice. Why? She could trust Hojo, how could anything bad possibly happen at the moment? It wasn't like he was suddenly going to reveal that there was a crazy murderer on the loose or something...  
  
"I think..," He hesitated. "That this shouldn't go on..." His voice sounded broken.  
  
Her smile faded slowly into an open-mouthed look of shock. One moment they were laughing together...and now... **That** had not crossed her mind.  
  
"What?" She repeated.  
  
Hojo looked at her, flustered. "I'm trying to say...I think we should stop meeting each other.."  
  
Kagomed tried to think happy thoughts, positive thoughts. She laughed. But it was a hollow laugh. "This a joke, right?"  
  
"Kagome.."  
  
"Stop lying." She suddenly said, and was surprised at her own anger.  
  
"Kagome...you know that it's already been kind of...barely holding together already.." He gushed.  
  
... She didn't answer.  
  
"I'm sorry... but I've made a commitment, and now I cannot put you first out of all of my thoughts. I just want you to...find someone who can.."  
  
She could feel tears polish her eyes, making the boy in front of him suddenly transform into nothing but a shimmering blob. "But.." She choked out, breaking on her words.  
  
The sky seemed to fall on top of them.

* * *

-shrieks and rips out hair- SHORT!  
  
HOWEVER! you're still welcome to review.   
  
I encourage it. =D because..as you can see..  
  
I need help in more ways than one. o.O 


	11. Still Here

I suck.  
  
By the way, I went to Thailand, so I'm past my week...but it's because of that.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my lovely boy. x3  
  
I would do quite a lot of things to make my fic enjoyable to read (like for one, make it longer), but with the first chapter, I ruined that entirely. I'll try again after this one's finished...

* * *

Anything But This  
  
Chapter 11  
  
Still Here

* * *

-Inuyasha-  
  
Fuck it. He stared at Kagome and Hojo, only their shadows visible through the white sheets blocking him from them. He could hear them clearly, could just imagine how Kagome was reacting to that son of a bitch's words.  
  
The sun was brilliantly shining against a soft blue sky, denying the fact that people on the world were suffering. That's why he didn't like it, and this was what made him angrier still.  
  
Here he was standing, moments after Shippo had come running up to him exclaiming that Kagome had finally arrived. And before he could go to her, she had come to him. Although she probably didn't know that yet.  
  
"This is a joke, right?.."  
  
He heard the pain in her voice, and before he could stop himself, he extended a hand to brush the sheet aside just a tiny bit. What he saw bit into his gut like acid. Out of all the things he'd seen before, he would never have expected this. This strong, arrogant, kick-ass girl was...crying. she was weeping for that Hobo guy. For all he was worth, his value did not involve Kagome's pain.  
  
If anything struck him like it did then, he'd chew off his ears. (He couldn't reach them though.) He bit his lip, nibbling on the inside of his mouth and his tongue so it would not lash out without his permission.  
  
"I'm sorry... but I've made a commitment, and now I cannot put you first out of all of my thoughts. I just want you to...find someone who can.."  
  
Leave the rambling job to this demented cheater. His gaze narrowed at the pale, spectacled (So Hojo doesn't wear glasses, but it fits him. =P) boy who was closer to Kagome then anyone else would ever be, but was now shoving it all away because he had found someone else? Kinda funny, and terribly ironic that he was here to see it happen.  
  
"But..."  
  
He could hear her voice crack, could see the agony in trying to control her feelings and yet make sense of what was happening. He couldn't say he fancied this girl after all she'd put him through, but a 'crying' Kagome was his weakness. Obviously. Actually, all girls that cried made him feel helpless. And he didn't like it. In fact, he loathed it.  
  
So he did the first thing that crossed his pea-sized brain.  
  
He tore down the white sheets and poles and clotheslines and everything in a frenzy of anger and frustration. Anger; Kagome was crying. Frustration; she didn't understand. The bright sunlight was immediately blocked by the cloth as it fluttered down comfortably on Inuyasha, including Kagome and Hojo. Anyone below would think the sky had decided to fall on top of their heads.  
  
What had he been thinking?? Nothing apparently.  
  
Oh, crap.

* * *

-Kagome-  
  
"Kagome??" A firm, warm hand reached out and grabbed her arm, but at that time, she was too disoriented to slap that hand away. She would have, she really would, but she could just pretend those last few moments had never occured.  
  
But they had.  
  
"Kagome!" Hojo pulled her out from the blankets and clothes that were tangled around her, and brushed invisible dust off of her as he naturally would. This kind of concern from a guy who had just dumped her was almost too much. She was throwing herself into his range again, naked and vulnerable. Smiling grimly, she gently pushed his patting hands away and continued to dust her own self off. He looked at her for a few moments, and as much as she wished she could avoid that gaze, she knew that just walking away would be the end of her dignity.  
  
"You okay?" Hojo asked softly. Trying to will the moistness in her eyes away, she looked up at him defiantly. "Yup."  
  
The boy continued to look at her again, and she was compelled to gaze at him the same way. She wished whatever look in her eyes would send the message she wanted to transmit. However, she seemed to have failed. His gaze dropped to the ground, looking very much like an ashamed boy. Pity, mixed with a strange ingredient of sadness filled her to the brim, but she forced herself to maintain her pride.  
  
He took her hand again, but she did not pull away. Instead, she followed him as he led her to another area, just walking slowly with no exact destination in mind. "Maybe I should tell you what I've been up to for the past few weeks?" He started to defend himself.  
  
"It doesn't matt--," She started, but was cut off.  
  
"This may sound silly..," he continued without waiting for her entire answer. "but I'm kind of...you can say, required to put people like my family and you second because well..." Kagome stared at him, a flicker of disgust fueling her just enough to remain sane. "I've decided to work with the nuns. And not just like that. I'll be head of the new church they're constructing for the orphanage. I hoped you'd be happy, but then I realized that now I had to rely on God and have him put first." He began to sound excited, a feverish glint in his eyes. The poor boy had finally managed to do something, but not properly.  
  
Babble, this inane prate was barely being absorbed. Western religious matters were never her strong point, as her grandfather was more keen on demons and charms and evil spirits. In the end, all she caught was an apology and a vague farewell.  
  
"I'm terribly sorry, but I think I have to go now.." he said hesitantly, but her spontaneous side suddenly pounced as she spoke.  
  
"Wait!"  
  
His reaction was to stare at her with a queer expression on his face, and this was when she realized that from the beginning, Hojo never had any special affection for her. She had just been a desperate bookworm and having this gentlemen have some concern for her once in a while was so flattering she found herself caught up in the spider's web too late. Now she was being devoured little by little, and soon all that would be left would be regret. Her teeth bit down onto her tongue, but she said what she had been planning to say anyway.  
  
"I probably have to go too..let's go together." She said haltingly.  
  
That sounded exceptionally ill-fitting, but she waited for his response. Hojo smiled slightly, crookedly, but she felt neither relief or joy. It was just the same expression, the same reaction, the same smile. The one she'd seen before, the same answer he'd give to any other person regardless of who they were.

-

The days were starting to get shorter. The moon was waxing and becoming more full. The shadows grew bigger. And the darkness more longer. As the two of them walked to the bus stop, no one stopped them. Not the nuns, not the children. But one shadow followed them.  
  
Kagome pulled on her coat, as Hojo did the same. She untucked her collar so it concealed her neck more from the cold and both stopped looking at eachother or even acknowledging eachother. They sat on the bench by the bus stop and waited as the daylight waned.  
  
Kagome did not notice the silver-haired, shivering figure clad in a thin T-Shirt stand a few meters away from her. She did not notice the person as she climbed on the bus, even after she had found a seat next to the window. This time her gaze was outside as the stranger climbed on as well, seating himself quite a distance from her.  
  
Hojo sat by her side, quietly. His hands were clasped in his lap and he was smiling slightly. This made Kagome a tiny bit angry. She stomped down on her anger and decided to do the same. It was the best way. Best way to do what? Forget maybe.  
  
She kept her gaze out the window. She did not want to see Hojo, and for that matter, remember what happened. Drawing a breath, she exhaled it softly, and traced a finger over the fogged up window. With a clearer view, Kagome saw her reflection. An ugly tangled mess which cloth, wind and tears each had their part in.  
  
She shut her eyes to close out that image. And before she could react, oblivion enveloped her. Kagome fell asleep. And did not wake when Hojo gave her a last glance and got off the bus. She did not wake when the bus slowly emptied.   
  
A dull ache was at her chest, even at sleep. She frowned, and suddenly her face cracked. If her eyes hadn't been closed, a few more tears when have fallen from them. What she dreamed to make her react like this, however, she did not remember when she eventually woke. It was incredibly dark.  
  
With a curse she regained her senses completely, when only she and silver-haired stranger remained on the bus. She rose, a strange thought nagging at her mind and for a moment she whipped her head around. No one.  
  
She was getting paranoid, and vague. What had she been thinking about that made her turn around? Shaking her head, she hopped off the bus quickly, and checked to see where she was. She had gone a few stops too far, but at the moment, she didn't feel like returning home. Her heart still ached, her head still throbbed, and she wasn't ready for her mom to pummel her. This was partially literal.  
  
Absentmindedly, she pulled out her wallet and entered the nearest restaurant. She had forgotten about lunch apparently, and just realized she was terribly hungry. Even without her stomach rumbling, she felt empty. But for once, she couldn't really distinguish it from her mental pain or her hunger.

A dark silhouette broke apart from the darkness as the bus started to leave. The tall shadow stood behind her, and the shadow belonged to a young man. The person stopped outside the window of the restaurant, and stared at Kagome as she ordered and ate what was her dinner for the night.  
  
Her mind, and her thoughts gave her a strange feeling that made the food and drink turn to ash in her mouth. Kagome shoved the remnants of her dinner away, and hesitantly, almost reluctantly called for a bottle of alcohol. As it arrived, she could see her own hand trembling as she poured a full cup.  
  
It started to rain.  
  
Clenching her teeth angrily, and with a firm resolve, she drained the cup in a one-shot, and felt the effects twaddle with her brain. The person outside watching her entered then, but she did not notice. After a few more cups, she began to feel a bit dizzy and did not realize that person had just sat down at her table. When she did, she just stared at him, blinking for a few moments.  
  
"Inuyasha..?"

* * *

-Inuyasha-  
  
He looked at her with some disgust. It was evident she was weak to such strong drink. He merely nodded to her vague question, although he guessed all she saw was someone splitting into two persons.  
  
"Hey..." He finally said, his voice devoid of humane emotion. Shoving his hands into his pockets, his gaze lingered on the empty glass bottles, then stared at her wondering what to do at this point. How could he tell her now?  
  
It was good and yet not that she was drunk, or else she would have left as soon as she had spotted him. At the moment, she was far from sober and already babbling with a tinge of uncontrolled anger. She was not as drunk as she was letting on... or it was either that she wanted to be and believed in it.  
  
"Inuyasha, what are you doing here?" A line appeared between her eyebrows, marring her flushed face. A quivering hand set down her glass none too gently. She hiccuped. "You're a demon...not allowed.." He saw her squint her eyes shut, both hands reaching to grab her head as if supporting it so it wouldn't fall apart. He remained undaunted at her insult, in fact, he was glad she was still so arrogant. It was worse if she started to cry.  
  
When she opened her eyes again, Inuyasha saw that she looked at him without recognition. Before he could stop her, she had taken her glass and sloshed what remained down her mouth. She looked positively green. Her words were slurred.  
  
"Hojo..he, he.. You know Hojo? Yes, my boyfriend..wait.." She grabbed her head again, but then reached out her hand for her glass. Inuyasha immediately grabbed her wrist, he wanted her to talk. "Whashthis?" Kagome looked at him as if she had just noticed him for the first time. "Hojo? No..him say to not meet anymore..he has another duty..be priest and worship or something.." She waved her hand vaguely, and stared at him. "So your not him..no...he dumped me."  
  
Inuyasha looked at her with disgust mixed with pity. It seemed he was left to pick up the shattered pieces of Kagome's sanity and put them back together. But first he absorbed what he was being told, and stored it away to be used later.  
  
"He dumped me." She said louder this time, and began to grin foolishly. He wished he had a mirror right now, he felt like his eyes had popped open like a frog's. "Everyone!!" She shrieked brokenly, and Inuyasha reflexively turned to meet more than a dozen pairs of eyes stare at him. Turning back, he grabbed Kagome by her shoulders and tried to shush her. But she did not notice him. Yanking free from his grasp, she stood and began to wave at the people that looked at her.  
  
Inuyasha was torn from wanting to laugh at his drunk tutor from crawling underneath a rock and dying from embarassment. "Everyone!" Kagome repeated, and stumbled from her chair. "I was dumped!" She raised her glass as if making a toast, and by now Inuyasha had chosen to hide. Obviously noticing nothing but the glass in her hand and the fact Hojo had, so to speak, 'dumped' her, she did not see Inuyasha in the most queerest position he could ever manage under the table. She gulped down the alcohol, and finally slumped down to the chair, only to smack herself across the window. "Dumped!" Her voice was muffled, and for some odd reason, Inuyasha rose hesitantly, placing his hands on the glass and peering outside to see if anyone was watching. Anyone would have thought he was trying to imitate her.  
  
The restaurant owners had noticed the commotion and walked swiftly their way, not too mild expressions on their faces. Inuyasha, sensing danger quickly stared at Kagome as if she'd do something. Seeing no reaction, other than her making a trail of her own drool down the window, dragged Kagome's dead weight out of the door along with her coat and into the rain.  
  
'Maybe this will wake her up.' He thought grimly, as the water droplets came down softly. Seeing that she was too wobbly to stand, he propped her up by the wall and forced her coat onto her. Some grunts and curses followed the process, as she kept on marching towards a vague direction and then he had to stop her before she slid down the wall. And she was pretty heavy to drag up by the sixth time. Pulling the hood tightly over her head, he then shifted her body onto his back and began to walk what he thought was the way home. He didn't know where Kagome lived unfortunately.  
  
Only a few minutes in the rain and already Inuyasha was cursing himself and Kagome. "Stupid girl hauled herself into this mess.." He kicked at a stone and then stumbled. "Fucking " Kagome herself had her own chant of the single word, 'dumped'. Inuyasha was very close to just 'dumping' her himself to the ground like a sack of potatoes she seemed to be like, but heard her say his name.  
  
"Inuyasha..?" Feeling her struggle to get off, he wearily released his grip on her and let her slip to the ground. Twisting around with a swiftness that was profound because of his exhaustion, he extended a hand for her to lean upon in case needed. He then grabbed her shoulder firmly, making sure she wouldn't collapse, and seeing that she was sober enough to stand, he let go. She blinked blearily.  
  
"I'm sorry..," She suddenly said, which made Inuyasha look at her with surprise. _She_ was apologizing? This was a first. He stared at her intently, expecting more. "but my head hurts with you bumping around like that.." With this, disappointment along with frustration rushed through his mind.  
  
"Well, I apologize too, Miss Higurashi..," He said sardonically. "I would have been a little bit more graceful had it not been raining with a particularly heavy girl on my back." If Kagome had understood what he had said, he would have been unconscious in two seconds flat. But instead she just grabbed her head again and started to rub her temples.  
  
"Make the spinning stop.." She whined, then groaned, stumbling into him. Inuyasha kept her from falling, holding her shoulders. The girl in front of him closed her eyes, finally seeming to have made the 'whirling' inside her head stop. Her head tilted upward, leaning against his chest.  
  
Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, and told himself that if she wasn't so drunk, he'd have pushed the damn girl away and left her to rot. That was, _after_ he had had time to defend himself for her being angry at him.  
  
Suddenly she lifted her head to look at him, opening her eyes. Somehow he was caught up in the closeness and warmth of this girl, even if that warmth came from her feverish face. Even drunk, she still had a helpless, beautiful quality about her that he would have been attracted to if they weren't on such bad terms.  
  
He could swear she was leaning forward, closer to him. Her eyes closed again. Before he could stop himself, he did the same, and only a small fraction of him said that this was pure revolting and wrong. But the larger fraction told the smaller part to shut up.  
  
He could feel her breath now, and although smelling a bitter, he couldn't blame her. He himself smelled like an ash tray after a cigarette.  
  
Only a few millimeters were between them, any movement would have had them collide with eachother..but gently. If you take my meaning.  
  
Inuyasha could feel himself flush as his heartbeat sped up just a little bit, and leaned in just a tiny bit more. His eyes closed...

* * *

I grow in rambling and shrink in detail as the chapters go by. Woe is me.  
  
I wish I could have made this longer, but, alas...

-starts to weep- I'm a friggin' retard... T.,T


	12. Wanted To Say Thanks

oh god.  
bet you expected alot..from the last chapter. eh? =D;;  
  
maybe not though... e.e;  
  
and this chapter..got deleted. like. alot of times I got SOOO frustrated. that I forgot about it for a while...  
  
but I'm here to pick up the pieces. forgive me? .. by the way..also forgive me for the slight religious content here...no offense. but everyone knows Inuyasha. ;3  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha..and doubt I'll ever own more than a strand of silver hair. ;3  
  
and to hell with the alternate universe thing. it's too confusing.

* * *

Anything But This  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Missing You

* * *

His breath was ragged, and it was getting more fast-paced by the second. His eyes remained close, not wanting to see..but _feel_. Heck, this wasn't his first kiss, nor was it even the second time he had been this close to Kagome. It was far from a first kiss either, but it had a different quality than that of Kikyou's smooches. Her's were eager and often too slobbery then he liked. And gross. But he could just guess that Kagome's lips would be secretive, but vulnerable enough to make even a simple close-mouthed kiss so unchaste-like he would shiver.  
  
This was crazy. He was kissing his **tutor** for Christ's sakes. The only thing he liked about her was that she was fairly pretty, hell, he'd admitt she was as gorgeous as Kikyou but with a more feminine side - skirt and all. But beyond that, he had not the faintest clue why he was doing this.  
  
His lips remained soft and unmoving, waiting for hers. But after a while, it seemed _too_ much time had passed, or either time had really stopped. He cautiously opened his right eye - Kagome was still close to him...but all he could see was her head on his shoulder. She wasn't as close as he remembered. He then opened his left eye, and the most god-awful stink went straight to his nostrils. It was as if his sense of smell had been switched on after opening both eyes as well. He shivered as he saw Kagome's dinner on his shirt, and although the smell was being rained away, it didn't stop him from wanting to do the same thing as Kagome had.  
  
"Oh...oh my god."  
  
With his shudderings and soft-spoken words, Kagome mouthed something inaudible, and at the moment Inuyasha was too preoccupied with the gunk on his shirt that he didn't hear her. He simply felt her lips move against his wet shoulder, which was only a mild tickle. Soon two hands pressed themselves against his chest, and she withdrew from his grasp painfully slowly.  
  
"Inuyasha..." She looked at him, gaze focusing so slowly she had to blink to rid of the blurriness. "Inuyasha?" She repeated softly. Her head twisted around to look at her surroundings, and her hands bunched into fists around his shirt as she remembered who she was with. Small sparks of anger arose a small flicker of rage in her, but at the moment things were too wet and dark for the fire to become alive. She dearly wanted to lie in bed and sleep.  
  
Inuyasha said nothing to her calling, only stared at the small hands that were around his shirt and wished that they'd go away. He seriously need to discard of this particular article of clothing, and modesty really didn't matter since no one except them would be out in the pounding rain. Her fingers were cold, as his hands closed around them and pulled them away. She wobbled precariously, but he knew she'd stand and proceeded to tear off his shirt. His fingers brushed against the remnants of the stiches he had on his flank, most of his skin had already healed over it. It was ironic to think Kagome had only healed him yesterday. So much had happened since yesterday...  
  
The wet cloth stuck to him, and he was glad he had worn a wife-beater underneath today. It was getting extremely chilly, and he knew it. And before he could do anything else with the shirt except toss it in a bin (he had hundreds more where that came from), Kagome fell into him again. He felt the fists her hands had been loosen their grip, and fall apart. Startled, he managed to maintain balance but was unable of controlling his jaws so they'd close. When a content sigh fluttered from her mouth he finally found his cool and realized she was exhausted...and now was close to sleeping as anything even standing up.  
  
Feeling her legs buckle slowly, and her head nodding, he gave a long sigh.  
  
"It was only yesterday....?" He asked aloud softly.  
  
He grabbed her around the waist and flung her onto his shoulder none too gently. At the moment, he was feeling quite irked and frustrated right now and the fact Kagome was extremely heavy for being practically dead and all...was not helping matters.  
  
But there was also the fact that he'd felt something when he was so close to the girl. Twice.  
  
It made him feel like a small teenage boy again, and that didn't bring up pleasant memories.  
  
Nonetheless, there were also memories he had missed...recent memories. Of Kagome.

* * *

Kagome was very much blinded when her eyes woke to morning. Early morning, but nonetheless too bright for late August. She rubbed her eyes, gave a jaw-splitting yawn and arose from the couch. Mild blurriness and a slight dizziness that was familiar came to her, but she kept on staring through the window.  
  
"Justaminnut." She gushed, her eye shape resembling the size of the fattest, roundest almonds you would ever see. "Couch." She looked at where she had been sleeping. "Window?" She looked outside to the brightness again. A few seconds passed before she spoke again.  
  
"Where am I?" The place seemed awfully familiar...she could tell she had seen it before...but where? A fading rust brown mark on the carpet below the window brought back a rushing flow of memories. _Screaming, blood, violet, demon,_ **Inuyasha**.  
  
She bit her tongue accidently, and for a second she was extremely glad that she had shushed herself sub-consciously. She looked to where Inuyasha would have been, on his bed and saw that it had already been tidily made. He had already left...to go somewhere. She could already guess where and flushed an ugly beet red. "Kikyou," she hissed through dry and cracked lips.  
  
The effects of last nights drinking spree had definitely affected her, it had been the most alcohol she had ever drank and probably only the fourth time. First time was with her family, second with Hojo, third with Sango. Oh dear god what would her mother say??  
  
Mom? Good Lord what _would_ her mom say? And how would she explain her absence last night?  
This was definitely not going to turn out well...  
  
She peeled off the stifling blanket that was on her, and raced across the room to snatch her coat that was on his bed. Seeing that she couldn't possibly just march through the front door, she took the route most used by Inuyasha.  
  
The window.  
  
"Oh...shit."  
  
Her first climb out the window had made her foot slip on a loose tile, sending it clattering down to the cement below. Anyone sleeping would probably be awake by now... Easing her way out, she unsnagged her coat from a nasty looking hook and wrinkled her nose in disgust at a white splatter of pigeon dung. Licking her lips, she realized she was extremely eager to brush. Her breath was probably as nasty as hell right now, but first she'd have to deal with her mother.  
  
Oh no..her mom.  
  
She was on the lower roof, a good two meters from the ground. She could jump, if she wanted to sprain her ankle and break her legs. Instead, she walked carefully around the mansion, and found the building attached to the house that was filled with cars. About more than half a meter lower, she gently tried to get on the roof of a car, and slide down from there. The car made a sound usually only aluminium cans could make from her weight, and she held her breath as she carefully jumped down. She wiped her hands from the dust that had gathered on the tops of the car, and quickly sped into a run towards the shrine.  
  
This was not going to be good. She knew it. And now she had yet another reason to be angry at Inuyasha. Frankly, she was getting tired of all the quarrels and grudges and almost forbidden conversations. No. It wasn't him she was tired of, she realized for the first time. In actuality, she wanted it the way it had been. Snappy, but comfortable.  
  
Which meant she missed him.  
  
She missed Inuyasha.

* * *

Same glasses. Same neat hair. Same deadpan look. Inuyasha had found the boy, Hojo, just where where he thought he'd be on a Sunday morning. He was way too predictable for his tastes. As he neared the boy reading something like a bible on the steps of the city church, he saw him reach for a milk carton. His breakfast most likely...  
  
"Hey, you!" Inuyasha called out casually at first, waiting to see how the boy would react. And again, as predicted, jerkily and attentively.  
  
"May I help you?" He asked in a voice that was too pleasant for him to want to pummel, which made him want to punch him even more.  
  
"Do you know a girl my age called Kagome?"  
  
"Why, yes I do. Why?"  
  
"Did you meet her yesterday?"  
  
"I don't see how this is any of your business..." He started, but Inuyasha cut him off with one stroke of his fist. The boy fell backward onto the steps, his spectacles going askew and a bruise welling up on his cheek bone. The book fell to the ground, the pages flapping in the wind. He looked scared shitless. Pity that Kagome fell in love with a boy like him. He spat near the bible, and neared Hojo who scrambled on his back and feet.  
  
"You hurt her, you little son of a bitch." He growled, feeling amused and seeing now that this had been the perfect way to spend his morning. It wasn't just for Kagome, he benefited from this too. This was making his anger and frustration leak out. The silence that followed irked him a little bit however.  
  
"You hurt her, to love God. Hah." He glared at him disgusted, reaching for the milk carton and smirking as he saw Hojo flinch. Tearing the top open with a fingernail that was abnormally sharp and long, he gulped down the whole carton in a one shot. Crumpling it up afterwards, he threw it up in the air and caught it. "Shouldn't you be drinking Christ's blood or something..?"  
  
Hojo finally found his voice. "I did no such thing to Higurashi, and whatever she told you was probably a misunderstanding--"  
  
Inuyasha never let him finish the sentence as he directed another punch to his face. This time blood was dribbling from his nose and his glasses flew away elsewhere, leaving him squinting at the menacing figure.  
  
"You know what?" Inuyasha growled and threw the crumpled ball that had once been a carton into Hojo's lap. "You sort of people are gay...seriously. That's your problem." He rolled his eyes, and then left Hojo whimpering. He scrambled for his glasses and finally blurted out at Inuyasha's form that had now disappeared.  
  
"The Lord will punish you for your sins!" He cried defiantly, but two sharp white fluffy ears caught the sounds clearly even from the distance, and a moment later, a pebble rocketed through the air and knocked the poor boy unconscious.

* * *

Kagome launched herself into bed and smothered herself into her pillow. Those last few moments as she had walked into the shrine hadn't involved her mother much. At least, with her being her usual cranky self. In fact, she had been worried. Yes, in the end she had been cuffed painfully, but that had been all. So unlike her mother...they'd probably have had a wrestling match by now. First Buyo had started purring at her presence and practically demanded for himself to be carried. She did so, when Souta ran into her followed by grandpa hobbling towards her and immediately pasting an ofuda charm on her forehead. The reaction after this was the most deadpan expression you'd ever get.  
  
Simply because her mom hadn't been there to greet her first. And that was rather disappointing, to say the least. It was more unnerving than anything, and later she was told that mom had been up all night calling and searching for her again. So when she went upstairs to her bedroom, she saw her mom curled up on her side on her own bed. It struck her heart painfully to see how much her mother cared, even though with all her abuse and shouts and all that.  
  
But it was to say she seemed like Inuyasha. Which may have meant Inuyasha cared as well.  
  
Her mother complained and cuffed her for her own good, and now, she had just come to realize that meant she loved her even more. It was heart wrenching to know Inuyasha could have been doing the same thing.  
  
She wanted to know directly...it would just be too awkward to expect Inuyasha to feel anything at all and suddenly out of the blue kiss him (she had no recollection of the night before) just because she had the impulse to. It would make her look stupid, and Inuyasha wouldn't like it. "Oh my god I can't believe this..." She screamed into her pillow afterwards, muffeling the sounds. Only yesterday her infatuation in Hojo had been complete, and right now in the morning of the day after yesterday, she was already thinking thoughts for Inuyasha.  
  
This made her as bad as that Kikyou girl then...it was crazy. Even before she had went upstairs after arriving home, Souta was blubbering about getting a call from a boy and teasing Kagome of her 'lover-boy Hojo'. A place in her chest tweaked achingly. In reality, she found out it had been Hojo. Grandpa managed to explain that Hojo had been attacked by a silver haired boy who was asking about her, Kagome. Thus the ofuda charm to ward of violent spirits. And perhaps only she knew who the silver-haired boy was.  
  
All she needed now was for Sango calling to mope and complain about her new student, Miroku again.  
  
The phone rang on her desk. She slipped to the floor from her bed, crawling like a snail to her desk simply because of laziness and lethargy. Putting the phone to her ear, she spoke. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey Kag!"  
  
It was Sango.  
  
The irony of it all was sickening.

* * *

after Inuyasha beating up Hojo..I was at a blank at what to write. Sorry. e.e and besides. I thought I really needed to get some more characters in the plot. I'm starting to sound like J.k. Rowling, ya know? Only writing about the main characters..no fun. 


End file.
